The mountain is a lonely place. Welcome to Sourwood, a small Kentucky town inhabited by men and women both unique and yet eerily familiar. Among its joyful and tragic citizens we meet the crafty, spirited Caleb and his curious younger brother; Pearl, a suspected witch, and her sheltered daughter, Thanie; superstitious Eli; and the doomed orphan Girty. In Sourwood, the mountain is both a keeper of secrets and an imposing, isolating presence, shaping the lives of all who live in its shadow. Strong in both the voice and sensibilities of Appalachia, the stories in Miss America Kissed Caleb are at turns heartbreaking and hilarious. In the title story, young Caleb turns over his hard-earned dime to the war effort when he receives a coaxing kiss from Miss America, who sweeps into Sourwood by train, "pretty as a night moth." Caleb and his brother share in the thrills and uncertainties of growing up, making an accidental visit to a brothel in "Fourth of July" and taming a "high society" pooch in "The Jimson Dog." These fourteen stories invoke a place and a time that have long passed—a way of living nearly extinct—yet the beauty of the language and the truth revealed in the characters’ everyday lives continue to resonate with modern readers.

Miss America Kissed Caleb: Stories (Kentucky Voices, 1)

Literature & Fiction

Clark, Billy C.

Short Stories & Anthologies

Univ Pr of Kentucky

The mountain is a lonely place. Welcome to Sourwood, a small Kentucky town inhabited by men and women unique and yet eerily familiar. Among its joyful and tragic citizens we meet the crafty, spirited Caleb and his curious younger brother; Pearl, a suspected witch, and her sheltered daughter, Thanie; superstitious Eli; and the doomed orphan Girty. In Sourwood, the mountain is both a keeper of secrets and an imposing, isolating presence, shaping the lives of all who live in its shadow.Strong in both the voice and sensibilities of Appalachia, the stories in Miss America Kissed Caleb are at turns heartbreaking and hilarious. In the title story, young Caleb turns over his hard-earned dime to the war effort when he receives a coaxing kiss from Miss America, who sweeps into Sourwood by train, "pretty as a night moth." Caleb and his brother share in the thrills and uncertainties of growing up, making an accidental visit to a brothel in "Fourth of July" and taming a "high society" pooch in "The Jimson Dog." These stories invoke a place and a time that have long passed―a way of living nearly extinct―yet the beauty of the language and the truth revealed in the characters' everyday lives continue to resonate with modern readers.

Miss America Kissed Caleb: Stories (Kentucky Voices)

Genre Fiction

University Press of Kentucky

Clark's autobiography of his astonishing primitive river bank childhood in Catlettsburg, Kentucky at the junction of the Big Sandy and Ohio Rivers. Clark was a member of a sprawling, ragged family. His father was an intelligent, fiddle-playing shoemaker with little formal education. His mother often took in washing to help provide food for the family. The boy grew up in a derelict house, "The Leaning Tower," on the banks of the Ohio River. Always hungry, often dirty, and without sufficient clothing, he led an adventurous life on the two rivers, swimming, fishing and salvaging flotsam from the frequent floods. Billy was the only one of his family to seek an education, and through his traps, his river salvage, and odd jobs, he earned money to put himself through school. His final chapter ends with a powerful account of his parent's pride at his graduation.

A Long Row to Hoe

Biographies & Memoirs

Jesse Stuart Foundation

Follows the misadventures of a country boy from Kentucky and his mischievous mule

Goodbye Kate

Teen & Young Adult

Herndon, Jerry A.

Eldridge, Harold

Song of the River

Having grown old living in his shantyboat on the Big Sandy River in eastern Kentucky, John engages in a final battle with Scrapiron Jack, the huge catfish he has been trying to catch for years.

Children's Books

Anxious to acquire a good coon dog, Jeb is dismayed when the pup he awaits is born with a stub tail and moon eye

The Trail of the Hunter's Horn

Gifford, James M.

Hall, Patricia A.

Charles, Chuck D.

A contest to find the best coon hound in Kentucky tests Jeb's belief in his half-blind dog Mooneye.

Mooneyed Hound

Marsh, Jim

Thirteen-year-old Caleb trades a small pig for an old, ugly, crippled dog that nobody wants and he and the dog soon become inseparable friends

Useless Dog

Collects essays, short stories, and poetry from writers, including Jesse Stuart, Billy C. Clark, James B. Goode, and Thomas D. Clark.

Appalachian Christmas Stories

Reference

Miller, Jim Wayne

Caudill, Harry M.

Jones, Loyal

Clark, Thomas D.

Goode, James B.

Blaine, Marlin W.

Words, Language & Grammar

Catlettsburg, KY author Billy C. Clark's fascinating story of a boy's infatuation with the river.

Riverboy

Leaders & Notable People

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Books by Clark, Billy C.