Growing Up in West Virginia

Growing Up in West Virginia

During the Spring 2004 semester, students in Mary Spalding's English 130 Themes & Topics class studied Appalachian Literature. Ironically, all the students in the class hailed from West Virginia, while the teacher grew up in the "flatlands" near Washington, DC. Needless to say, the roles of "teacher" and "student" blurred even more than usual in the class!

One class member suggested that each student write a memoir of growing up in West Virginia for our final--and I agreed that it was a wonderful idea! Most of the students gave me permission to publish their papers, and the result is this web page. In these works of creative non-fiction, students describe their families, friends, homes, and experiences while living in the countryside, small towns, and cities of this beautiful state. In many cases, students connect their own experiences to the historical, political, and sociological aspects of Appalachian life discussed in class, as well as to the literature we read and the films we watched. (For a list of our texts, click here. For a partial list of topics we discussed, click here.)

Of course, the highlight of this page is what immediately follows--the sometimes funny, sometimes heartwarming, and sometimes tragic memories of a terrific group of West Virginian college students. I hope you enjoy them!

Feel free to send comments to my email address below.

[NB: I have edited these memoirs, changing some names and place names, in order to protect privacy. ms]

	"An Unconventional Childhood," by Mica Perry. Mica describes a childhood being home-schooled and otherwise raised against materialistic societal norms by her mother, an artist, and her father, a musician. Her beautifully written memoir shows how West Virginia continues to attract nonconformists and individualists. [Mica also brought in a number of instruments used in old-time music, many of them handmade by her father. Her mother participated in our Appalachian Heritage Day, displaying her beautiful handmade baskets and other crafts.]
	"Life as I Knew It," by Misty McDermeit. Misty shares colorful stories of growing up in West Virginia. Despite difficult economic circumstances, humor provides the strength to get through the tough times.
	"Miners and Minorities," by Jina Mendez. Jina writes of growing up in southern West Virginia in the only family of "minority" racial background in her town. She describes the importance of the union to her coalmining grandfather and father, and the importance of family to her.
More Memoirs to Come!

Our Texts

Appalachia: A History. I read and referred to John Alexander Williams' excellent text throughout the semester. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in a wide-ranging, socio-cultural and historical account of the region.
Backcountry. This anthology of Appalachian writers' poetry and prose, edited by West Virginia poet laureate and former PSC English professor Irene McKinney, is a fine introduction to current West Virginia writers.
Dollmaker, The. This made-for-television film, starring Jane Fonda, is based on the classic Appalachian novel by Harriette Arnow. The story addresses themes of the exploitation and economic hardship of Appalachian workers as well as the resilience and independence that helps some of them survive. The beauty of Appalachian arts and crafts plays a positive role in the plot.
Colored People. Henry Louis "Skip" Gates, Jr., is one of PSC's most famous alumni. This memoir describes his growing up in the then-racially segregated, neighboring town of Piedmont, West Virginia. In the chapter titled "Sin Boldly," Gates pays homage to Tony "Duke" Whitmore, his PSC English teacher and former interim president of the college, who died in 1999. Gates credits Whitmore with changing his lifelong career goal from medical doctor to professor of literature.
Matewan. This film dramatizes the mining "wars" in the state, when unionizing led to bloody confrontations between the workers and the "company's" henchmen.
Gap Creek. We listened to the audiotape of Robert Morgan's novel, which describes the burdens and strengths of an Appalachian woman. The juxtaposition of rich details with spare prose is effective, and the heroine's simple yet intelligent strength against great odds is deeply moving.
Storming Heaven. This novel by West Virginian Denise Giardina is a fictionalized but reliable account of the West Virginia mine wars.
Growing Up in Appalachia. The first chapter of John O'Brien's memoir served an introduction to the course. In a search for understanding of his father, who grew up in Piedmont, West Virginia, Mr. O'Brien moved his family to Franklin County, not far from PSC, where he wrote this book.
October Sky. This film, based on the memoir by NASA scientist Homer Hickam titled Rocket Boys, tells the inspiring story of Hickam's childhood in Coalwood, West Virginia, and how education and the space race helped him escape a life in the coal mines, despite his father's objections.