In language both spare and colorful, sure in its command of Appalachian dialect and poetic in its evocation of mountain settings, James Still's stories reveal the lives of his people -- lives of privation and struggle, lived with honesty as well as humor. With a foreword by Cleanth Brooks and an afterword by the author,The Run for the Elbertas features thirteen stories from one of America's masters of the short story. Enjoyable and enriching, Still's stories sparkle with wisdom and joy.

James Still(1906--2001) was the author of numerous works of fiction and poetry, including River of Earth; From the Mountain, From the Valley: New and Collected Poems; andChinaberry. His writing has won many awards, including the Marjorie Peabody Waite Award and the O. Henry Memorial Prize.

Foreword1. I Love My Rooster2. The Proud Walkers3. Locust Summer4. Journey to the Forks5. On Quicksand Creek6. The Stir-Off7. The Burning of the Waters8. School Butter9. The Moving10. One Leg Gone to Judgment11. The Quare Day12. The Fun Fox13. The Run for the ElbertasAfterword