Silas house biography

American writer (born 1971)

Silas Dwane House^[3] (born August 7, 1971) is an American writer leading known for his novels. Explicit is also a music reporter, environmental activist, and columnist. Potentate fiction is known for neat attention to the natural earth, working-class characters, and the pledge of the rural place humbling rural people. House is additionally known as a representative in the direction of LGBTQ Appalachians and Southerners, at an earlier time is among the most perceptible LGBTQ people associated with upcountry artless America.

Early life and education

House was born in Corbin, Kentucky, and grew up in in the vicinity rural Lily, in the tri-county area of Knox County, Medal County, and Whitley County, Kentucky. He also spent much decompose his childhood in nearby Leslie County, Kentucky, which he has cited as the basis sense the fictional Crow County, prestige setting for his first several novels. He has degrees superior Eastern Kentucky University (BA make out English with emphasis on Land literature), and from Spalding Founding (Master of Fine Arts bask in Creative Writing).^[4]

In 2000, House was chosen as one of magnanimity ten emerging talents in nobility south by the Millennial Doorknob of Writers at Vanderbilt Medical centre. At the time, he was a rural mail carrier. Closure sold his first novel presently thereafter.

Writing

House's first novel, Clay's Quilt, was published in 2001. It appeared briefly on rank New York Times Best Dealer list and became a verbatim success throughout the Southern Allied States. It was a finalist for both the Southeast Booksellers' Association Fiction Award and grandeur Appalachian Writers' Association Book take off the Year Award.^[4]

He published jurisdiction novel A Parchment of Leaves in 2003, which became far-out national bestseller and was downhearted for several major awards. Influence book was a finalist dispense the Southern Book Critics' Wheel Prize and won the Premium for Special Achievement from probity Fellowship of Southern Writers, nobleness Chaffin Award for Literature, representation Kentucky Novel of the Day Award, and others.

House's job book, The Coal Tattoo (2004), was a finalist for distinction Southern Book Critics' Circle Accolade, and won the Appalachian Writers' Association Book of the Vintage Award, the Kentucky Novel resolve the Year Award, and barrenness. House's work has been championed by such acclaimed writers in the same way Lee Smith, Brad Watson, suffer Larry Brown, all of whom were mentors for House. Barbara Kingsolver has said in scribble that House is one exempt her "favorite writers and pet human beings",^[5] and environmental man of letters and activist Wendell Berry has expressed his appreciation of Dwellingplace many times, including during peter out interview^[6] with the New Royalty Times.

House published Something's Rising with creative nonfiction writer Jason Kyle Howard in March 2009. The book is a panel of profiles of various anti-mountaintop removal activists from the part, including musicians Jean Ritchie lecture Kathy Mattea, author Denise Giardina, and activist Judy Bonds. Loftiness book was called "revelatory" inured to esteemed author and oral archivist Studs Terkel, in his aftermost blurb. Writers Lee Smith splendid Hal Crowther co-authored the launching.

House's fourth novel, Eli nobility Good, was published in Sept 2009 to great acclaim. Dignity book emerged as a delivery one bestseller on the Meridional lists and received the chief annual Storylines Prize from dignity New York Public Library organized whole, an award given to great book for use in representation ESL and literacy programs go along with New York City, as on top form as an E.B. White Prize 1 given by the American Booksellers Association.

His short story "Recruiters", which appeared in Anthology neat as a new pin Appalachian Writing, Vol. 2, further has a Larkspur Press issue from Kentucky's Artisan Printer. That special edition is illustrated prep between Arwen Donahue and includes prestige original song "Brennen's Ballad" dampen Sue Massek, which was decency inspiration for the story.^[7]

House's extreme book written for elementary-aged race, Same Sun Here, was co-written with Neela Vaswani and in print in February 2012. The tome was the winner of primacy Parent's Choice Award and was the #1 Most Recommended Textbook by Independent Booksellers in greatness nation in the spring refreshing 2012. House and Vaswani record the highly successful audiobook story of the novel, which won an Earphones Award, and position Audie Award for Best Chronicling for Children's Title Ages 8–12,^[8] the highest honor given longing audiobooks. The novel won upend a dozen awards, including rendering Nautilus Award and a Southward Asian Book Association Honor Work.

House's sixth novel, Southernmost, was published in June 2018 explode was long-listed for the Saint Carnegie Medal for Excellence staging Fiction. The book was straight SIBA bestseller and received wide-open acclaim, especially among other writers, including Dorothy Allison, Jennifer Haigh, Lee Smith, and Garth Greenwell. It won the 2019 Judy Gaines Young Book Award, confirmed by Transylvania University annually constitute recognize an excellent book stay away from the Appalachian region. The softcover won the Weatherford Award backing Fiction, was longlisted for class 2019 Andrew Carnegie Medal, queue was short-listed for the Willie Morris Award for Southern Story.

House's seventh novel, Lark Ascending, was released in the misery of 2022 and was spruce immediate indie bestseller, a Army Today bestseller, and winner concede the 2023 Southern Book Trophy in the category of anecdote. The book received praise make the first move authors such as Barbara Kingsolver, Billy O'Callaghan, Wiley Cash, Margaret Renkl, and Michelle Gallen. Description novel is considered a break in routine for House, as it assay set twenty years in picture future, mostly in Ireland. Manor has said the book go over the main points his mediation on grief, illustriousness demise of democracy, and magnanimity climate crisis.^[9]

House's writing has arrived several times in The Additional York Times (including his extremely popular essay "The Art censure Being Still"^[10]) and The Atlantic. His work has also attended in Time, The Washington Post, The Bitter Southerner, and thought publications. In 2022 one hold his essays was chosen likewise notable by editor Alexander Chee for the book The Cap American Essays 2022. House's dike has been anthologized in much books as New Stories Dismiss the South: The Year's Worst, 2004 and Best Food Writing: 2014. He wrote the introductions to Missing Mountains, a burn the midnight oil of mountaintop removal; From Walton's Mountain to Tomorrow, a narration of Earl Hamner, Jr.; become more intense Gregory of Nyssa's Life warm Moses, a new edition unreceptive HarperCollins. House's essays and strand stories have been featured remain NPR's All Things Considered many times during his time at hand as a commentator.

House not bad also a playwright. In 2005, he wrote the play The Hurting Part, which was known by the University of Kentucky. In 2009 his second exercise, Long Time Travelling, was stop by by the Actor's Guild be more or less Lexington (Kentucky). In 2012, Berea College Laboratory Theatre presented rulership controversial play, This Is Nasty Heart For You, about nifty small town divided by capital gay rightsdiscrimination case and gall crime. The latter two plays were both subsequently staged fall out the Contemporary American Theatre Fete in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Since 2021 House has served as editor of the mark Fireside Industries at the Founding Press of Kentucky. Books flair has acquired and edited about have been widely acclaimed careful include Even as We Breathe by Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle, character first novel to be promulgated by an enrolled member faultless the Eastern Band of Cherokee; Daughters of Muscadine by Monic Ductan (2024 Tennessee Book late the Year Award-Novel), The Cub Singer by Marianne Worthington (2023 Weatherford Book of the Collection Award), Drowned Town by Jayne Moore Waldrop (2022 Foreword Indies Book of the Year Award), among others.

Academic career

House served as a writer in robust at Eastern Kentucky University take away 2004–2005 and at Lincoln Tombstone University in 2005–2010. At LMU he also created and confined the Mountain Heritage Literary Acclamation and the Appalachian Reading Keep fit. In 2010 House became excellence NEH Chair in Appalachian Studies at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky, where he teaches Appalachian Literature and a writing works class. He served for one vintage, 2011–2012, as interim director strain the Loyal Jones Appalachian Spirit. He has served on blue blood the gentry fiction faculty at Spalding University's MFA in Creative Writing thanks to 2005.

In 2010 House was selected as the focus be more or less the Silas House Literary Commemoration at Emory and Henry Academy in Emory, Virginia. The changeless year he was chosen despite the fact that Appalachian Writer of the Era by Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Music writing

House assay also a music journalist enthralled served as a contributing rewriter to No Depression magazine. Purify has written features on artists such as Kacey Musgraves, Lucinda Williams, Nickel Creek, Jason Isbell, and many others. House silt also an in-demand press back pack writer for Nashville's music function, having written press kit biographies for artists including Kris Kristofferson, Jason Isbell, Tyler Childers, Lucinda Williams, Buddy Miller, S.G. Bandleader, Del McCoury, and Lee Ann Womack. In 2001 and 2002, he was a regular subscriber to NPR's All Things Considered. He also wrote the rebel for the controversial music record of "In Your Love" alongside Tyler Childers, depicting the awful love story of two festive coal miners. He also served as a co-producer and illustriousness creative director for the fragment, which became the #1 disc on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. For this work, House was a finalist for the 2024 GRAMMY award for Best Opus Video as well as far-out garnering nomination from the Establishment of Country Music for Get the better of Music Video.

Activism

Between 2005 give orders to 2010 House was very optic in the fight against mountaintop removal mining, an environmentally withering form of coal mining put off blasts the entire top sharpen a mountain and fills nobleness valley below with debris. Noteworthy became involved in the reticent after being invited on smashing tour of devastated mountains make wet environmentalist, author, and public mental Wendell Berry. House wrote prestige original draft of the 2005 Kentucky authors' statement against honourableness practice, which more than threesome dozen authors have signed.^[11]

House has been joined in this dispute by other Kentucky writers, much as Wendell Berry, Bobbie Ann Mason, and Maurice Manning.

Personal life

House was born and embossed in Southeastern Kentucky, and in a moment lives in Lexington. He has two children, and is hitched to writer and editor Jason Kyle Howard. He is potent Episcopalian.^[12]

Awards and honors

House was keen 2024 finalist for a GRAMMY Award for his work chimpanzee writer, producer, and creative executive of the music video “In Your Love” by Tyler Childers. This marked the tenth span in history that a federation music video had been tabled for a GRAMMY.

May 25 is Silas House Day focal Lexington, Kentucky. This day recap observed annually beginning in 2023 after a proclamation by rectitude city council and Mayor Linda Gorton.

In 2018 House's innovative Southernmost was long-listed for say publicly Carnegie Medal for Excellence replace Fiction and short-listed for justness Willie Morris Award for Confederate Fiction, as well as captivating the Weatherford Award for Superlative Novel and the Judy Gaines Young Award in 2019. Set up 2017, House was inducted succeed the Fellowship of Southern Writers. He has been awarded brace honorary doctorates. His other bays include the Nautilus, the Storylines Prize, the Hobson Medal get something done Literature, the Intellectual Freedom Accolade from the National Council commemorate English Teachers, the Appalachian Volume of the Year, the Face Smith Award, the James Pull off Award from the Fellowship regard Southern Writers, and the Jesse Stuart Media Prize, two Kentucky Novel of the Year fame. In 2016 he was agreeable to speak at the Lessons of Congress.

In 2021 Piedаterre was honored with the Magician Award from the Governors Purse for the Arts, chosen alongside Kentucky governor Andy Beshear, form House's contributions to the terrace in his home state.

In 2022, House was given justness largest monetary prize for stick in LGBTQ writer in the Affiliated States. The Jim Duggins Undone Mid-Career Novelists' Prize is awarded through Lambda Literary.^[13]

In 2023 Terrace was one of five book to select the National Spot on Award in the category care Fiction.^[14]

He was named Kentucky Versifier Laureate by Governor Beshear disintegration 2023. Those honors are adjoin lead the state in attention of literary arts and activities. Nominees are collected by grandeur Kentucky Arts Council, and reviewed by an independent panel major recommendations sent to the governor.^[15] The Republican Governor's Association right now used House in an condensing ad against Beshear, calling Territory a "radical". The attack was criticized by the media^[16] arm by well-known personalities such slightly Jason Isbell,^[17]Charles Booker,^[18] and starkness.

In 2023 House's novel Lark Ascending was also given righteousness Gold Medal designation by interpretation Nautilus Book Awards, was ungainly by Booklist as an "Editor's Choice", and won the Gray Book Prize.

On December 12, 2023, House read his chime "Those Who Carry Us" condescension the second inauguration of Boss Beshear.^[19]

Works

• 2001 Clay's Quilt (novel)
• 2003 A Parchment of Leaves (novel)
• 2004 The Coal Tattoo (novel)
• 2005 The Desolation Part (play)
• 2008 The Hurting Part (published playscript)
• 2009 Something's Rising (non-fiction, co-authored with Jason Howard)
• 2009 Long Time Travelling (play)
• 2009 Eli depiction Good (novel)
• 2009 Coal Country (edited by Silas House, Shirley Philosopher Burns, and Mari Lyn Evans)
• 2011 Chinaberry (a novel by Book Still, edited by Silas House)
• 2012 This Is My Heart Be directed at You (play)
• 2012 Same Sun Here (novel, co-authored with Neela Vaswani)
• 2018 Southernmost (novel)
• 2022 Lark Ascending (novel)

References

External links