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| Writing The Anthracite Experience | |||||||||||
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Cruising Rt. 209, the main streets of old coal towns give the impression that nothing of consequence is going on. Signs at the entrance to each community announce the town's name in big letters. But the long, quiet stretches of pavement that follow might convince a traveler that these villages have nothing to say beyond "Welcome." That mask of silence is an illusion. In every school lunchroom and each backyard, there are stories unfolding. The dramas of the coal region reflect the path of change embraced by our nation. Coal towns once epitomized the fulfillment of American dreams. When anthracite was driving the economic growth of the country, these towns earned a notable place in national literature. The works of John O'Hara described their residents and struggles well. Today, the stories of coal communities must still be told because they illustrate the evolution of national character. Helping local writers document the rich life of coal communities is one way to add a missing voice to the ongoing American dialogue. A few factors make this process challenging. First of all, many of the people who spent their childhood in anthracite country have moved away from the region to find jobs in other places. Since the decline of coal and manufacturing, the region's biggest export has been its people. Former residents carry memories off to places that make the anthracite past seem irrelevant. Meanwhile, people who remain in the coal region may not feel they have the writing skills to effectively capture the tales within reach.
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Clear observation of the traditions and celebrations most common to the region are a good place to start. The grandmas who stuff our pierogies have lots to say about the past—and have no shortage of opinions about the future. Outside the small parishes, anthracite region fire companies have maintained the tradition of protecting neighborhoods, while giving local men an honorable place to share gossip. Anthracite writers in search of provocative settings need look no further than the town "hosey" or the corner bar. As far as plots are concerned, accounts of the coal region are so full of ethnic distrust, class warfare, and revenge, the material for good drama is abundant. Differences between ethnic groups have long been part of the cultural conversation. Even today, new Latino immigrants to the region are subject to the same cycles of discrimination once endured by Irish, Italian, and Eastern European immigrants. The energy industries' boom and bust cycles add another layer of change that has twisted the fates of many generations of coal crackers. For the coal region, unemployment is not a new thing, and plenty of families have found ways to survive it. Collecting our stories of resilience and triumph becomes an important act of community revival. |
In such a fertile cultural milieu, the fundamental task for aspiring writers is the development of good technical skills. Great stories have a dramatic rhythm and linguistic richness that is often a product of keen listening and precise editing. Writing workshops offer a friendly setting for getting feedback to help sharpen these elements. The companionship of other writers is also a tremendous antidote to the solitude of the writing process. By building a stronger literary community, anthracite writers can push the dreams, needs and values of the region back into America's national dialogue. To promote the value of our traditions, we need to chronicle and preserve them. Stories hover all around us. They stare out from picture frames, are carved into tombstones, and arrive in the mail. For coal cracker storytellers, there's never been a better time to pick up a pen and tap into the wealth of our ancient, mammoth veins. Colleen Davis ===
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