2011 HELEN LEWIS LECTURE

Was presented by John McCutcheon, world acclaimed folk artist, song writer and children’s book author, on Friday, February 18 at 7:00 p.m. at the Bonnie Higdon Reaves Auditorium on the Reinhardt College Campus in Epworth, GA. It was a great evening as we became  acquainted or reacquainted with one of the greats of folk music.

My first introduction to John McCutcheon was several years ago when I went back to seminary for my doctorate. Our three children were grown and had left the nest. So we invited three of my classmates to stay in the kids’ rooms when they came for the two week classes. One of the pastors, who is also a musician, arrived with a CD he just couldn’t wait to share.

As we listened to the wonderfully rich voice of John McCutcheon sing “Room at the Top of the Stairs” reminiscing on the empty nest that happens as children grow up and leave home, there was not a dry eye among us. John McCutcheon had touched our heartstrings. He was singing about us!

John will make you laugh and cry. He will make you nostalgic and think about the future. He will make you think about your kids and grandkids and about your ancestors. He inspires and energizes. He will carry you away into the world of Appalachian poetry and melody while playing one of the seven instruments he has mastered. Starting out on a mail-order guitar, he is now considered one of the undisputed masters on the hammered dulcimer.

McCutcheon says, “This notion of telling stories of ordinary people who have done great things, and carrying those stories from one place to another, of telling people ‘this is where I’ve been, these are the stories I can bring you,’ is the heart of what I do. That’s my goal. If you can recognize yourself in my songs, then I’ve done my job.”

2010 Helen Lewis Lecture - SILAS HOUSE    

Silas House is a nationally recognized author, musician, and environmental advocate from Eastern Kentucky.

He is a strong advocate for protecting the environment and believes in everybody being good to one another. He has been actively protesting a form of coal mining, known as mountaintop removal, which is devastating the mountains of Appalachia.

“If you happen to come upon a bird’s nest along
the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young
ones or eggs, and the mother sitting on the young
or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with
the young.”—Deuteronomy 22:6

Speaking to the ravages of mountaintop removal, Silas House says,

“I think this verse is saying that we have to be kind to even the smallest creatures. I believe it means that we should be compassionate, and thoughtful, and responsible. And I believe that it means we should not be short-sighted or mean-hearted or greedy. To be good people, the verse says, we must all be protectors of bird’s nests.”

HELEN LEWIS LECTURE 2009

MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN—VETERAN CHILD ADVOCATE
5TH ANNUAL HELEN LEWIS LECTURER  

On Friday, February 6, 2009, The Craddock Center presented the Fifth Annual Helen Lewis Lecture. The series of lectures was established in honor of anthropologist, Dr. Helen Lewis, to focus on a specific area of Appalachian life and culture. The 2009 lecturer was Marian Wright Edelman, the Founder and President of the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) in Washington, D.C. Under her leadership, CDF has become one of the nation’s strongest voices for children and families.

She spoke about children living in poverty in Appalachia and the roles of child advocates and caring communities. 

 

HELEN LEWIS LECTURE 2008

DR. BARBARA ELLEN SMITH TO DELIVER FOURTH HELEN LEWIS LECTURE

A great evening was planned for Friday, March 7, as The Craddock Center presented the Fourth Annual Helen Lewis Lecture. The evening began at 7 pm with some foot-tapping and lots of clapping as Sonny Houston and the Gold Rush Band playing Appalachian mountain music. At 7:30 pm Dr. Barbara Ellen Smith spoke to us on “Latino Immigrants and the Challenge of Community in Appalachia”. She is a noted authority on Latino immigration and the changing racial-ethnic dynamics of the South. Dr. Smith came to Virginia Tech in the fall of 2005 as Director of Women’s Studies and Professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies. For the past thirty years she has been an activist scholar in Appalachia and the U.S. South.

 

 

 

HELEN LEWIS LECTURE 2006

Entertaining, Informative -  these two words describe the evening of the second annual Helen Lewis Lecture.  Laura Boosinger of Asheville entertained and charmed us with her delightful music. Darlene Wilson informed and disturbed our minds with her presentation on Melungeons in Appalachia. The category “Race” may need to be radically re-thought or dropped as a consideration among peoples of the world.  If you missed the event, Darlene left with the Center CD’s containing history, correspondence, photos, legal documents, even songs related to Melungeons. Call the Center to check out a CD. And Darlene gives permission to make your own copy if you like.
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This year the Craddock Center was honored to welcome historian and teacher Darlene Wilson who will speak about Melungeon women in Appalachia at the Helen Lewis Lecture.  Ms. Wilson is a nationally recognized historian of Appalachia, race and women. She is the founder of APPALNET, a listserv for the Appalachian studies community. She has also served as Director of Institutional Advancement and Effectiveness, as well as having been a faculty member for Southeast Community College in Cumberland, KY. A respected author, Wilson’s writing has appeared in numerous books and journals including the Journal of Appalachian Studies. We are thrilled to welcome her.

Suggested Reading:
The following books can be purchased online through the Melungeons Heritage Association http://www.melungeon.org.

• Walking Toward the Sunset: The Melungeons of Appalachia by Wayne Winkler.
• The Melungeons: The Resurrection of a Proud People by Brent Kennedy.
• Melungeons and Other Pioneer Families by Jack Goins.
• How They Shine: Melungeon Characters in the Fiction of Appalachia by Katherine Vande Brake.

MEET LAURA BOOSINGER
Joining Wilson for the Helen Lewis Lecture will be musician Laura Boosinger. Focusing on the traditional music from the Southern Appalachian region, Boosinger has appeared at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival as well as the Tennessee Homecoming at the Museum of Appalachia. Ms. Boosinger was named “Most Outstanding Performer” at Ashville’s “Mountain Dance and Folk Festival” - the oldest continuing traditional music festival in the country. From old time banjo to finger autoharp, Boosinger’s music welcomes listeners to the great musical heritage
of Southern Appalachia. Welcome, Laura!

HELEN LEWIS LECTURE 2005

HELEN LEWIS LECTURE SERIES BIG SUCCESS!

You measure success by the warm reception given to Sonny Houston and the Blue Velvet Band. Their opening set put us emotionally and appreciatively in Appalachia.

You measure success by the size of the crowd. Such a large response to the first annual lecture bodes well for this event in subsequent years.

You measure success by the lingering of the crowd to continue savoring the program and to exchange stories. “Please, go home, we have to lock the building.”

You measure success by applause twice given to our guest lecturer, Loyal Jones of Berea, KY. His vast knowledge of Appalachia, gained by research and personal experience, was delightfully wrapped in the humor and stories of the region. The laughter of the crowd was sprinkled with a few “Amens” from old timers: “That is the way it is.”

You measure success by the multiple ovations given to Helen Lewis whom we honor with this lectureship. She is a national treasure.

You measure success by the gratitude we feel toward the Blue Ridge Mountain Arts Association, our host for the evening. The old courtroom was prepared for us, and for the entire evening the jury was sequestered and the judge delayed. It was our party.