How We Talked and Common Folks

Two of Verna Mae Slone's most beloved books -- How We Talked and Common Folks -- are now available in a single edition. How We Talked is a timeless piece of literature, a free-form combination of glossary and memoir that uses native expressions to depict everyday life in Caney Creek, Kentucky. In addition to phrases and their meanings, the book contains sections on the customs and wisdom of Slone's community, a collection of children's rhymes, and stories and superstitions unique to Appalachia. More than just a dictionary, How We Talked is a rich compendium of life "on Caney," offering an understanding of the culture through the distinctive speech of its people. Originally published in 1979, Common Folks documents Slone's way of life in Pippa Passes, Kentucky, and expands on such diverse topics as family pets, coal mining, education, and marriage. Slone's firsthand account of this unique heritage draws readers into her hill-circled community and allows them to experience a lifestyle that is nearly forgotten. Whether she is writing about traditional Appalachian customs like folk medicine or about universal aspects of life such as a mother's yearning for the little girl she never had, Slone's instinctive sense of what matters most makes Common Folks a compelling meditation on a legacy worth remembering. Published together for the first time, How We Talked and Common Folks celebrate the spirit of an acclaimed Appalachian writer.

""Both titles are a must-read for lovers of Kentucky literature." --K. Melissa Burton, Kentucky Monthly" -- , ""How We Talked and Common Folks is a tribute to the richness, creativity and wisdom inherent in the language of the mountain people who were for so long isolated from the rest of the world." --Ina Hughs, Knoxville News-Sentinel" -- , ""How We Talked is really about community, interaction, social relations, and the like. It has more insights into the functions of language use in traditional Appalachia than any other book."--Michael B. Montgomery, Professor Emeritus of English and Linguistics, University of South Carolina" -- , ""Reprinting these books as a single edition... has furthered Verna Mae Slone's lifelong advocacy of preserving an Appalachian way of life while continuing to disprove stereotypes. The books complement each other in such a way as to further prevent and correct misunderstanding of Appalachian people."--Appalachian Journal" -- , ""Slone's works would be captivating enough for her storytelling prowess, but the care with which she has artfully assembled the details of her life breathes into her words the very essence of her people." --Marshall Myers, Register of the Kentucky Historical Society" --

Sidney Saylor Farr is a special collections librarian at Berea College in Kentucky, and also the editor of Appalachian Heritage. Her writing has appeared in Mountain Life & Work, Appalachian Journal, Organic Gardening, and other publications.