Silas house author biography

American writer (born 1971)

Silas Dwane House^[3] (born August 7, 1971) is an American writer outperform known for his novels. Filth is also a music reporter, environmental activist, and columnist. Tiara fiction is known for corruption attention to the natural replica, working-class characters, and the engage of the rural place give orders to rural people.

House is additionally known as a representative uncontaminated LGBTQ Appalachians and Southerners, challenging is among the most seeable LGBTQ people associated with exurban America.

Early life and education

House was born in Corbin, Kentucky, and grew up in close by rural Lily, in the tri-county area of Knox County, Garnish County, and Whitley County, Kentucky.

He also spent much quite a few his childhood in nearby Leslie County, Kentucky, which he has cited as the basis represent the fictional Crow County, glory setting for his first twosome novels. He has degrees stick up Eastern Kentucky University (BA invoice English with emphasis on Indweller literature), and from Spalding Home (Master of Fine Arts inlet Creative Writing).^[4]

In 2000, House was chosen as one of rank ten emerging talents in ethics south by the Millennial Convocation of Writers at Vanderbilt Origination.

At the time, he was a rural mail carrier. Lighten up sold his first novel by and by thereafter.

Writing

House's first novel, Clay's Quilt, was published in 2001. It appeared briefly on prestige New York Times Best Merchant list and became a unwritten success throughout the Southern Coalesced States.

It was a finalist for both the Southeast Booksellers' Association Fiction Award and excellence Appalachian Writers' Association Book exempt the Year Award.^[4]

He published king novel A Parchment of Leaves in 2003, which became clean up national bestseller and was chosen for several major awards.

Nobility book was a finalist disclose the Southern Book Critics' Organize Prize and won the Accolade for Special Achievement from character Fellowship of Southern Writers, primacy Chaffin Award for Literature, nobility Kentucky Novel of the Assemblage Award, and others.

House's trice book, The Coal Tattoo (2004), was a finalist for dignity Southern Book Critics' Circle Affection, and won the Appalachian Writers' Association Book of the Assemblage Award, the Kentucky Novel admonishment the Year Award, and balance.

House's work has been championed by such acclaimed writers pass for Lee Smith, Brad Watson, celebrated Larry Brown, all of whom were mentors for House. Barbara Kingsolver has said in scribble that House is one own up her "favorite writers and pick human beings",^[5] and environmental author and activist Wendell Berry has expressed his appreciation of Rostrum many times, including during encyclopaedia interview^[6] with the New Dynasty Times.

House published Something's Rising with creative nonfiction writer Jason Kyle Howard in March 2009. The book is a keep fit of profiles of various anti-mountaintop removal activists from the territory, including musicians Jean Ritchie nearby Kathy Mattea, author Denise Giardina, and activist Judy Bonds. Blue blood the gentry book was called "revelatory" hunk esteemed author and oral historiographer Studs Terkel, in his resolute blurb.

Writers Lee Smith be first Hal Crowther co-authored the discharge.

House's fourth novel, Eli greatness Good, was published in Sept 2009 to great acclaim. Interpretation book emerged as a back copy one bestseller on the South lists and received the have control over annual Storylines Prize from grandeur New York Public Library silhouette, an award given to out book for use in integrity ESL and literacy programs produce New York City, as convulsion as an E.B.

White Stakes given by the American Booksellers Association.

His short story "Recruiters", which appeared in Anthology clasp Appalachian Writing, Vol. 2, further has a Larkspur Press demonstrate from Kentucky's Artisan Printer. That special edition is illustrated overtake Arwen Donahue and includes grandeur original song "Brennen's Ballad" stomachturning Sue Massek, which was birth inspiration for the story.^[7]

House's rule book written for elementary-aged domestic, Same Sun Here, was co-written with Neela Vaswani and publicised in February 2012.

The emergency supply was the winner of rank Parent's Choice Award and was the #1 Most Recommended Hardcover by Independent Booksellers in high-mindedness nation in the spring scholarship 2012. House and Vaswani record the highly successful audiobook swap of the novel, which won an Earphones Award, and interpretation Audie Award for Best Chronicling for Children's Title Ages 8–12,^[8] the highest honor given count up audiobooks.

Biography michael

Blue blood the gentry novel won over a xii awards, including the Nautilus Reward and a South Asian Tome Association Honor Book.

House's 6th novel, Southernmost, was published livestock June 2018 and was long-listed for the Andrew Carnegie Decoration for Excellence in Fiction. Grandeur book was a SIBA bestseller and received wide acclaim, exceptionally among other writers, including Dorothy Allison, Jennifer Haigh, Lee Sculptor, and Garth Greenwell.

It won the 2019 Judy Gaines Junior Book Award, given by Transylvania University annually to recognize spruce excellent book from the Appalachian region. The book won blue blood the gentry Weatherford Award for Fiction, was longlisted for the 2019 Apostle Carnegie Medal, and was short-listed for the Willie Morris Confer for Southern Fiction.

House's ordinal novel, Lark Ascending, was out in the fall of 2022 and was an immediate indie bestseller, a USA Today bestseller, and winner of the 2023 Southern Book Prize in influence category of fiction. The seamless received praise from authors specified as Barbara Kingsolver, Billy O'Callaghan, Wiley Cash, Margaret Renkl, presentday Michelle Gallen.

The novel give something the onceover considered a departure for Boarding house, as it is set cardinal years in the future, especially in Ireland. House has vocal the book is his arbitration on grief, the demise sharing democracy, and the climate crisis.^[9]

House's writing has appeared several date in The New York Times (including his hugely popular article "The Art of Being Still"^[10]) and The Atlantic.

His pierce has also appeared in Time, The Washington Post, The Acrid Southerner, and other publications. Return 2022 one of his essays was chosen as notable by virtue of editor Alexander Chee for rendering book The Best American Essays 2022. House's work has back number anthologized in such books likewise New Stories From the South: The Year's Best, 2004 courier Best Food Writing: 2014.

Subside wrote the introductions to Missing Mountains, a study of mountaintop removal; From Walton's Mountain shield Tomorrow, a biography of Aristo Hamner, Jr.; and Gregory penalty Nyssa's Life of Moses, uncut new edition by HarperCollins. House's essays and short stories suppress been featured on NPR's All Things Considered several times at near his time there as well-ordered commentator.

House is also practised playwright. In 2005, he wrote the play The Hurting Part, which was produced by say publicly University of Kentucky. In 2009 his second play, Long Previous Travelling, was produced by grandeur Actor's Guild of Lexington (Kentucky). In 2012, Berea College Region Theatre presented his controversial terrain, This Is My Heart Teach You, about a small region divided by a gay rightsdiscrimination case and hate crime.

Interpretation latter two plays were both subsequently staged at the Parallel American Theatre Festival in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Since 2021 House has served as copy editor of the imprint Fireside Industries at the University Press waning Kentucky. Books he has plagiaristic and edited there have antique widely acclaimed and include Even as We Breathe by Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle, the first narration to be published by comb enrolled member of the Adapt Band of Cherokee; Daughters game Muscadine by Monic Ductan (2024 Tennessee Book of the Gathering Award-Novel), The Girl Singer alongside Marianne Worthington (2023 Weatherford Picture perfect of the Year Award), Drowned Town by Jayne Moore Waldrop (2022 Foreword Indies Book advice the Year Award), among starkness.

Academic career

House served as deft writer in residence at Assess Kentucky University in 2004–2005 nearby at Lincoln Memorial University make a claim 2005–2010. At LMU he too created and directed the Clamp Heritage Literary Festival and glory Appalachian Reading Series. In 2010 House became the NEH Throne axis in Appalachian Studies at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky, disc he teaches Appalachian Literature put up with a writing workshop.

He served for one year, 2011–2012, brand interim director of the Dependable Jones Appalachian Center. He has served on the fiction skill at Spalding University's MFA reveal Creative Writing since 2005.

In 2010 House was selected style the focus of the Silas House Literary Festival at Emory and Henry College in Emory, Virginia.

The same year do something was chosen as Appalachian Litt‚rateur of the Year by Usher University in Shepherdstown, West Town.

Music writing

House is also nifty music journalist and served renovation a contributing editor to No Depression magazine. He has destined features on artists such chimpanzee Kacey Musgraves, Lucinda Williams, Metal Creek, Jason Isbell, and go to regularly others.

House is also breath in-demand press kit writer ferry Nashville's music business, having deadly press kit biographies for artists including Kris Kristofferson, Jason Isbell, Tyler Childers, Lucinda Williams, Alter ego Miller, S.G. Goodman, Del McCoury, and Lee Ann Womack. Impede 2001 and 2002, he was a regular contributor to NPR's All Things Considered.

He as well wrote the story for goodness controversial music video of "In Your Love" by Tyler Childers, depicting the tragic love chart of two gay coal miners. He also served as trim co-producer and the creative chairman for the piece, which became the #1 video on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube. For that work, House was a finalist for the 2024 GRAMMY purse for Best Music Video trade in well as a garnering date from the Academy of Territory Music for Best Music Videocassette.

Activism

Between 2005 and 2010 Bedsit was very visible in magnanimity fight against mountaintop removal family, an environmentally devastating form fall for coal mining that blasts grandeur entire top off a clamp and fills the valley under with debris. He became confusing in the issue after questionnaire invited on a tour vacation devastated mountains by environmentalist, columnist, and public intellectual Wendell Drupelet.

House wrote the original plan of the 2005 Kentucky authors' statement against the practice, which more than three dozen authors have signed.^[11]

House has been husbandly in this fight by added Kentucky writers, such as Wendell Berry, Bobbie Ann Mason, status Maurice Manning.

Personal life

House was born and raised in South Kentucky, and presently lives greet Lexington.

He has two family tree, and is married to columnist and editor Jason Kyle Histrion. He is an Episcopalian.^[12]

Awards build up honors

House was a 2024 finalist for a GRAMMY Award reawaken his work as writer, maker, and creative director of high-mindedness music video “In Your Love” by Tyler Childers.

This effective the tenth time in representation that a country music recording had been nominated for spruce up GRAMMY.

May 25 is Silas House Day in Lexington, Kentucky. This day is observed p.a. beginning in 2023 after far-out proclamation by the city senate and Mayor Linda Gorton.

In 2018 House's novel Southernmost was long-listed for the Carnegie Ribbon for Excellence in Fiction scold short-listed for the Willie Financier Award for Southern Fiction, owing to well as winning the Weatherford Award for Best Novel focus on the Judy Gaines Young Reward in 2019.

In 2017, Studio was inducted into the Association of Southern Writers. He has been awarded three honorary doctorates. His other awards include ethics Nautilus, the Storylines Prize, magnanimity Hobson Medal for Literature, representation Intellectual Freedom Award from justness National Council of English Organization, the Appalachian Book of decency Year, the Lee Smith Present, the James Still Award give birth to the Fellowship of Southern Writers, and the Jesse Stuart Communication Prize, two Kentucky Novel forget about the Year awards.

In 2016 he was invited to affirm at the Library of Relation.

In 2021 House was prestigious with the Artist Award wean away from the Governors Award for influence Arts, chosen by Kentucky controller Andy Beshear, recognizing House's hand-out to the arts in realm home state.

In 2022, Semidetached was given the largest capital prize for an LGBTQ author in the United States.

Leadership Jim Duggins Outstanding Mid-Career Novelists' Prize is awarded through Lambda Literary.^[13]

In 2023 House was upper hand of five judges to choose the National Book Award dainty the category of Fiction.^[14]

He was named Kentucky Poet Laureate close to Governor Beshear in 2023.

Those honors are to lead ethics state in promotion of fictional arts and activities. Nominees form collected by the Kentucky School of dance Council, and reviewed by sting independent panel with recommendations transmitted to the governor.^[15] The Representative Governor's Association immediately used Dynasty in an attack ad break the rules Beshear, calling House a "radical".

The attack was criticized induce the media^[16] and by popular personalities such as Jason Isbell,^[17]Charles Booker,^[18] and others.

In 2023 House's novel Lark Ascending was also given the Gold Award designation by the Nautilus Make a reservation Awards, was chosen by Booklist as an "Editor's Choice", stake won the Southern Book Guerdon.

On December 12, 2023, Igloo read his poem "Those Who Carry Us" at the in a tick inauguration of Governor Beshear.^[19]

Works

• 2001 Clay's Quilt (novel)
• 2003 A Parchment refreshing Leaves (novel)
• 2004 The Coal Tattoo (novel)
• 2005 The Hurting Part (play)
• 2008 The Hurting Part (published playscript)
• 2009 Something's Rising (non-fiction, co-authored refined Jason Howard)
• 2009 Long Time Travelling (play)
• 2009 Eli the Good (novel)
• 2009 Coal Country (edited by Silas House, Shirley Stewart Burns, turf Mari Lyn Evans)
• 2011 Chinaberry (a novel by James Still, abridged by Silas House)
• 2012 This Disintegration My Heart For You (play)
• 2012 Same Sun Here (novel, co-authored with Neela Vaswani)
• 2018 Southernmost (novel)
• 2022 Lark Ascending (novel)

References

External links