Description
Book SynopsisBalances Don West's literary work with political and educational activities, placing West's poetry in the context of his fight for social justice and racial equality. This book explores West's early involvement in organizing miners and other workers for the Socialist and Communist Parties during the 1930s.
Trade ReviewWeatherford Award for Nonfiction, Appalachian Studies Association, 2008.
"Compelling to read and essential to students of social and cultural movements in modern American history."--West Virginia History
"In this extremely thorough biography, Lorence paints an unusual picture of Appalachian Don West. Expanding the view of West beyond that of poet, Lorence discusses and offers research that demonstrates West's work as educator, activist, and minister. . . . Recommended."--Choice
A Hard Journey, well written and exhaustively researched, does more than provide readers with a lens into the life of a dynamic writer and activist. Crucially, it illustrates the convergence of American political radicalism, literature, and working-class life, with West's poetry serving as a vehicle for social change."--North Carolina Historical Review
"Lorence demonstrates the connection between Don West's activism and his art - and the grounding of both in his lifelong commitment to celebrate and liberate the people of Appalachia. The result is an engaging narrative . . . that provides a window into multiple dimensions of social reform in the twentieth-century South."--Journal of Southern History
