Tennessee Books

I have other books on Appalachia folklore, and this is at the top of the list. It's fun, colorful, and gives you the creeps! Like the late Charles Edwin Price, Randy Russell and Janet Barnett have compiled a rich array of stories from East Tennessee; the perfect book to read -- whether to yourself or to others -- on those "dark, stormy nights."

This is a great book I love ghost stories and think they are really good I read this book about 5 times and was scared eveery time! (a REALLy good book will do that u know!!)

First of all, I like ghost stories rooted in history and place. All 25 stories in this collection are wonderful examples of folklore and of the people of the Cumberland and Blue Ridge mountains of Tennessee. You can almost touch the trees in the forest and hear the water moving over rocks. Did you know you can tell your future by counting the number of seeds in an apple? One story here tells you how. More importantly for me as professional storyteller, I found the authors had a very good ear for dialogue and *voice*. I havealready used two of the stories, Footprints in The Snow (Pigeon Forge)-- and the title story Granny Curse, and both met with very good success! Great for reading aloud -- but don't read them alone at night.

I first read this book 35 years ago, while in college. I kept a paperback copy all these years, re-reading it every few years. I just finished it again, and found that, as I grow older, I see it from a different perspective, and come away with a different message. The Green Kingdom has more depth than any book I have read in my lifetime. I love it, and am happy to have found a new printing before my paperback fell apart!

I too read "The Green Kingdom" long ago in paperback, loaned it to all my friends until it finally fell apart! Its magical atmosphere stayed with me, and when Amazon.com offered the possibility of looking for it, I jumped! and was so pleased to find the new edition (expensive though it is). Read this book and enter into a totally new world that combines a new landscape, music, love and loss, resembling ours in many ways, but exotically different too.

The Green Kingdom is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read. To think that this book was written by a young author and it was begun in 1912, her perceptions of people is very mature. The relationships are varied and real and the descriptions she gives of the Green Kingdom allows you to completely recreate every animal and plant in your own mind. I recommend this book to everyone whom I know likes to read. I would like to thank Nancy Walker for reprinting Mrs Maddux' work for a new generation. I first read the book in 1969, many times, loaned it out and never got it back. I spent the next 20 years trying to find another copy. Thanks to Ms Walker's reprints, I was able to locate one at the Strand in NY and now I have purchased one from Amazon.com. I never want to be without one in my possession again.

Book was in very good shape.
SEller handled the mailing in a prompt manner.

Edited by the team of Grace Toney Edwards (directs the Appalachian Regional Studies Center at Radford University), Joann Aust Asbury (teaches in the English department and assists with the Highland Summer Conference for the Appalachian Regional Studies Center at Radford University), and Ricky L. Cox (teaches Appalachian folklore in the English department at Radford University), A Handbook To Appalachia: An Introduction to the Region is an anthology of essays by learned academics offering overviews of the history and majesty of the Appalachian region. Directed toward a general audience, the essays discuss "Peoples of Appalachia: Cultural Diversity within the Mountain Region", "The Economy of Appalachia", "Health Care in Appalachia", "Education in Appalachia", "The Politics of Change in Appalachia", and much more. Extensively researched, illustrated with a handful of black-and-white photographs, and enhanced with numerous suggestions for further reading A Handbook To Appalachia is enthusiastically recommended for any scholar or lay person seeking a relatively brief yet comprehensive survey of the region, whether for collegiate interdisciplinary studies or simple curiosity.

If you are new to the region, just want to learn, are a teacher, a realtor, moving there, or relocating a business, this work has information and references to more background on nearly any topic related to the Appalachian region. Cross-referenced meticulously, this book is a must for anyone engaged with the public, pursuing scholarly work, or simply interested in learning more about the region.

Written/edited in an engaging and informative manner, you will find this book an invaluable resource.

It is a steal at any price.

"Hidden Tennessee" like all the other Hidden books are really great for the traveler looking for something different. In our travels, we always attempt to avoid the commonplace and crowds, and the Hidden guides help us find the unusual.

I purchased this book as a birthday gift for my son-in-law who is an avid hiker and prefers naturalist areas that are less traveled. He was very pleased with the content in this book

We used this book to tour the whole state of Tennessee for our Anniversary. Every time we went to a "hidden" recommendation, we found exactly what the book said. We were never disappointed. We also used the AAA book of Tennessee. "Hidden" gave us a better idea of things to do and see. It had general descriptions of areas in addition to city information. We only used the AAA book when we wanted to stay in a chain hotel. The "Hidden" book only suggest non-chain lodging

Jacona is the story of the Mestas family's experiences and love for New Mexico, especially Jacona, in the early years of Spanish exploration and colonization of the new world. Jacona has everything: adventure, hardship, battles, romance, family, politics and religion - a well rounded view of Spanish life and customs in the harsh but beautiful terrain of New Mexico. Growing up in Jacona myself, I was deeply touched by the story which brought to life a bit of my history and reinforced my opinion that Jacona is and always has been one of the most beautiful and enchanting places on earth.

This is an excellent novel that was very well researched. The author knows his history and apparently thought this one through before putting pen to paper. Highly recommended!!

This novel is very well researched. It covers the early Spanish settlements in Mexico and New Mexicao from 1540-1680, and is the story of a fictional family based on the author's own ancestors. The writing is formal and somewhat stiff, but many times you can't put it down. And I learned a lot.

Blues music fans who enjoy solid writing and insights will relish JOOK RIGHT ON: BLUES STORIES AND BLUES STORYTELLERS, a survey of blues life from oral stories collected by person for thirty years, told in blues musicians' own words. Pearson interviewed over a hundred such musicians, and JOOK RIGHT ON introduces their experiences in sections that cover learning blues music and styles, working in the blues world, and living the blues. The first-person narrations provide an intimacy third-person reporting could never equal and make JOOK RIGHT ON an important addition to the vast realm of blues literature.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

"Jook Right On" is described by the author as a "blues quilt," a collection of anecdotes told by blues men and women. Loosely organized by subject, the result is a closely interwoven chorus of authentic voices that achieves the honesty and clarity of the blues itself.

You may not recognize half the names of the storytellers, but you cannot help but know their humanity.

Years ago, Barry Lee Pearson wrote about the storytelling tradition that is a big part of blues music. In his first books, he documented and presented good stories by numerous blues players. This book is widens the scope of his previous work. It is a collection of numerous stories from well over 25 years of his own research. After an interesting introduction, the book consists of stories about a range of factors that are relevant to the blues musicians' lives. He includes interview material from some fairly prominent blues musicians, but many of the musicians are not the more famous artists. They all offer important histories and memories about playing, and it's interesting to read about their accounts of blues legends such as Sonny Boy Williamson, Howling Wolf, Robert Johnson, and other better known players. The stories are compelling reading. I especially like the descriptions of how the blues players got their start, and I found it especially interesting how many of them had parents who discouraged them from playing. There are also great descriptions of jook joints, house parties, and life on the road, all of which provide a fine context for understanding blues. It is particularly interesting how the stories are simply presented as interesting texts. Many of them read like great short stories and have an inherent interest on their own. If readers want to find more about the music and musicians, they can consult the excellent bibliographic materials that Pearson provides.

Ladies of Legend: Finding Home by Janet Eaves, Magdalena Scott, Maddie James & Jan Scarbrough

The town of Legend Tennessee has been brought to vibrant life by these four wonderful authors.

From a picturesque downtown to a beautiful lake, the settings only enhance the stories of the residents of Legend Tennessee. From the town hero/football coach to the owner of the local Bed and Breakfast, the residents find true love no matter how hard they fight against it.

Whether trying to get a new start on life or to preserve your way of living, the residents that make up Legend Tennessee make you feel like you are coming home.

Heart warming stories with plenty of spice make this book an extremely enjoyable read and I recommend it highly. It's definitely going on my keeper shelf.

The authors of the anthology, Ladies of Legend: Finding Home wanted to share a review from Coffee Time Romance. You can find the entire review at the Coffee Time Romance website.

5 Cups for Ladies of Legend: Finding Home

Ladies of Legend: Finding Home are four terrific stories by four great talented women. I like the way the ladies are not all young spring gals but instead mature ladies. These delightful stories are sure to please any reader. The banter, wit and simmering romanceadds to some great creativity behind the minds of four gifted artists. I was spellbound with
every turn of the page. The story allows the reader to feel a part of Legend, TN and it is such a lovely town that just blooms with love everywhere the ladies of Legend step.

Whatever you do, do not miss this extraordinary read that is a rare and precious gem indeed!

Cherokee
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books

This is beautiful! Four wonderful, sweet novellas about finding love and hope in a small town. These enchanting tales will leave you feeling good and thinking about the people of Legend, Tennessee long after you've closed the book.

The four stories are...

--"Claiming the Legend" by Janet Eaves... Lilly Peach is running from something so frightening it finally takes a whole town to cover her back.

--"Midnight in Legend, TN" by Magdalena Scott... Lovely Midnight Shelby finds Legend on the Internet after becoming tired of being one of her now ex-husband's "beautiful things."

--"Bed, Breakfast, and You" by Maddie James... Suzie Schul finds home only when the "fling" she had many months earlier shows up with a plan on her B&B doorstep.

--"The Reunion Game" by Jan Scarbrough... Plain Jane Smith reunites with her long lost love by playing a game of "bait and switch" with her famous twin sister.

Prof. Moore has for many years been one of the best academic scholars of American Freemasonry. His reseach is now at long last in published form. I can not recommend this book high enough. He now offically joins such other great academic scholars as Bullock, Jacob, and Clawson. This is what Masonic history ought to be and how it should be written.

MASONIC TEMPLES provides an excellent introduction to the structures American Freemasons erected over the sixty-year period from 1870 to 1930, analyzing their design, construction, and history and considering the surrounding milieu of Masonic sects and American culture of the times. This is a pivotal title recommended for any collection which already holds some more general Masonic titles: it offer analysis of four sets of Masonic ritual spaces and provides fine details on Masonic beliefs, rituals and architecture.

Masonic temples with external and internal features to evoke King Solomon's temple in ancient Jerusalem built throughout New York state from 1870 to 1930 were intended to "anchor [Freemasons] within a cognitive framework as they faced the existential crisis of being American men" in this period of profound, challenging, and often perplexing cultural change. New York state serves as an instructive example of the architecture of Masonic temples throughout the United States and the types of rituals and other activities they were built for because of this state's diversity embracing urban, suburban, and rural areas. The author is also familiar with New York Freemasonry from his one-time position as director of the Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library in New York City, though he is not himself a Mason. This Masonic Library also contains an incomparable amount of Masonic literature for study. The main chambers of a Masonic lodge are built and furnished to define--and thus to anchor--different facets of masculinity as these are recognized by the different stages of Freemasonry's initiations and rituals. The four principle chambers known as the Masonic lodge room, armory and drill room of the Knights Templar, the Scottish Rite Cathedral, and the Shriners' mosque correspond respectively to the masculine facets of the heroic artisan, the holy warrior, the wise man, and the jester. Moore moves back and forth from physical aspects of these rooms, the relationship of these aspects to the different facets of masculinity, and how Masonic rituals, lore, values, and practices work to define these aspects and keep them in proper balance in the formation of the ideal Freemason.

When I started reading books about Elvis, I began to take notes on where he'd lived, played, recorded, etc., knowing one day I'd travel there. Then I discovered this book! Mike and Cindy had done the work for me. The book is not only well written, but there are informative stories AND they tell you if a place has been demolished, or moved -- information that saved me a lot of time. After reading the book I decided that I HAD to take Mike's tour of Memphis -- it was well worth it. I had a glorious time -- Mike is a walking Elvis-encyclopedia (and fun too!). After the tour, my niece, who was traveling with me said, "well, I think we've done it all and seen it all"! And yes, thanks to Mike and Cindy, we had.

This is the ultimate read for any Elvis fan. Especially if they are going to spend any time in Memphis. It's eerie, even chilling, to walk the grounds where Elvis walked as a teenager, and even during stardom. This is a step-by-step narrative of how to find nearly every address related to Elvis in Memphis, and every one of them with a used-to-be secret. It's really cool!

I had this book on my bedstand for months as a gift from my wife. Once I picked it up and read the first page, I couldn't put it down. Every page is loaded with "Man, If I would've only
known."

But you better hurry! These sites are rapidly falling by the wayside. As we saw in a store window in Memphis, you can contact the authors for a personalized tour. Although we haven't taken it, this would be a way-cool afternoon.

Thank you Cindy Hazen and Mike Freeman,
Dave-n-Tina Campbell
Mt. Vernon, Texas

Memphis Elvis Style Cindy Hazen and Mike Freeman A phenomenal number of books have been written about Elvis. Recently it would seem that ever more such books are being published. Some are just rehashes of the same old story; others are the recollections of a five-minute fling, being as much a flight of phantasy as a worthwhile document; a few, a very few, are really worth buying and can be returned to again and again. "Memphis Elvis Style" by Memphis residents Cindy Hazen and Mike Freeman is most definitely one of the latter. It has not been launched under a blaze of publicity, but it is nevertheless an almost indispensable addition to the Elvis library. "Memphis Elvis Style" is, in fact, a guide book of Elvis related sites in and around Memphis. The no less than 129 sites have been cleverly organised firstly by their chronological relationship with Elvis and then further grouped by type. In addition, maps and an index help searching both in the book and in Memphis itself as simple as possible. And if this wasn't already enough, each entry contains detailed instructions on how to find its site and exactly what to expect, many buildings having been flattened or modified in the course of the years. But the book is also for those who have never been or never will go to Memphis. Cindy and Mike have achieved this by expanding each entry with some background information and an anecdote directly relating it to Elvis. This additional information provides some excellent reading and is sometimes quite amusing - I particularly liked the story of Elvis's visit to his local McDonald's with girlfriend Linda Thompson., but there are lots more stories and Elvis lore to satisfy all readers, even those looking for information about Hi Records, car dealerships, and just about everything else associated with Elvis in Memphis. Definitely a book to get! David Neale September 199

High marks for Michel Arnaud's photographic tour of Nashville. It seems to me that his (mostly) black and white portraits capture the essence of a generation - that host of Country and Western aspirants who flocked to Opreyville like the budding movie stars flocking to Hollywood. A few succeeded; many failed. There is less pulchritude in Michel Arnaud's book than if he had chosen to point his camera around Los Angeles, but many more characterful faces. He is a portraitist of the enthusiast, evoking the drink-fuelled abandon of the busking has-beens; the relaxed humanity of the established old-timers; the bounce of the new populists. They all come across as natural and relaxed: Alan Jackson lounging in split jeans on one of the floats of his private seaplane; Ray Wylie Hubbard peering cheerfully at the camera through steel-rimmed specs; wiry Chet Atkins, absorbed in tuning his guitar. The Roots win hands down for me, but there is something for everyone in this evocative album, which shows the Nashville that still retains its vitality underneath the publicised image.

High marks for Michel Arnaud's photographic tour of Nashville. It seems to me that his (mostly) black and white portraits capture the essence of a generation - that host of Country and Western aspirants who flocked to Opreyville like the budding movie stars flocking to Hollywood. A few succeeded; many failed. There is less pulchritude in Michel Arnaud's book than if he had chosen to point his camera around Los Angeles, but many more characterful faces. He is a portraitist of the enthusiast, evoking the drink-fuelled abandon of the busking has-beens; the relaxed humanity of the established old-timers; the bounce of the new populists. They all come across as natural and relaxed: Alan Jackson lounging in split jeans on one of the floats of his private seaplane; Ray Wylie Hubbard peering cheerfully at the camera through steel-rimmed specs; wiry Chet Atkins, absorbed in tuning his guitar. The Roots win hands down for me, but there is something for everyone in this evocative album, which shows the Nashville that still retains its vitality underneath the publicised image.

At first glance I thought this book was going to be just another "picture" book about famous country stars; I was happily and totally mistaken. While Arnaud and Hicks have captured some beautiful images and descriptions of the Nashville scene's legendary greats, the unique quality of this book is the fact that it also depicts the "stars" of Nashville whose lights have yet to shine, or whose lights may never shine. I found this book to be a wonderful tribute, not necessarily to those who have "made it," but more to the "pilgrimage" of those brave souls who journey to Nashville seeking to "make it" in the music business.

Although I am not a big fan of country music, nor am I musically inclined, as I gazed at the faces in this book, some recognizable, but many not, I felt a connection with them. That connection being the subject of hope and dreams.

The common thread among the people photographed in this book is not only their journey to Nashville, but their hopes and dreams of acquiring success in the music business. Arnaud and Hicks have incredibly captured the visual and written theme of this pursuit of success. I applaud Arnaud and Hicks for not just honoring and capitalizing on the images of those who have "made it," but for honoring the image of the journey and those "pilgrims" still on its path in Nashville.