Appalachian Stories

. . . for kids and older folks, too!

Think of Appalachian literature and the Jack Tales come to mind. Not only will North Carolina author Lynn Salsi be in the Authors Tent with some of her Jack Tale books, but she'll also tell a Jack Tale or two in the Storytellers Tent, which right next to the Authors Tent. Lynn will have her latest book, the award-winning Jack and the Giants, as well as several of her other books.

UPDATE: Because of her husband's surgery, Lynn Salsi will be unable to appear at this year's festival.

Rex Stephenson, who established the Jack Tale Players at Ferrum College back in 1975 will also tell a Jack Tale or two—and he'll have some of his Jack Tale scripts for sale in the Authors Tent. (You'll have to at Mountain Spirits Festival early to see him; Rex will have to leave at noon for a rehearsal.)

Tina Hanlon, a Ferrum College professor who maintains the AppLit website, an extensive collection of resources for readers and teachers of Appalachian literature, will have handouts about the AppLit site. Parents of homeschooled children might want to stop by and talk to Tina.

Becky Mushko will have Ferradiddledumday, an Appalachian version of the Rumpelstiltskin tale. An early version of Ferradiddledumday, with drawings by Ferrum Elementary School students as well as a study guide, is posted on AppLit. 

If you're looking for Appalachian stories, look no farther than the Authors Tent on October 5, 2013.

~