The Foxfire 40th Anniversary Book

For four decades, Foxfire magazine has been documenting and preserving the life and culture of Southern Appalachia. Drawing on the magazine's published talks by local high school students with elderly rural inhabitants, the books have explored the crafts, cooking, music, gardening and stories that have been passed down through the generations. The focus in this anniversary volume is on devotion to religion, family and the land. Collecting pieces from 40 years' worth of the magazine, the book inevitably covers topics covered in previous Foxfire collections, including snake handling, childhood toys and recipes. But the spoken words remain captivating, eloquent if plainspoken. It's clear that most of the respondents feel, as Eunice Hunter does, that "religion is everything to me." Many of the subjects speak movingly of their belief in the Bible, the power of the Devil, and Judgment Day. Prefatory comments from the editors are more admiring of the culture described (even whipping children as a form of discipline) and condemning of modern society than they are informative and objective. Best to overlook them and let the Appalachian elders speak for themselves. B&w photos. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved