There’s a kind of circle of life catharsis that a brand new Appalachian writer in Southeast Kentucky has experienced lately and it revolves around the recent passing of acclaimed Kentucky Hall of Fame author and UK Professor of English, Gurney Norman. Mandi Fugate Sheffel says it was an accident that she showed up at a poetry reading at Hazard Community College in the spring of 2019 that the late Gurney Norman was also attending. She admits not being too familiar with the literary scene back then, but that Gurney had told her she had a powerful story to tell when they happened to meet and that she should use her voice to make a difference in Southeast Kentucky - and that’s what Mandi did. Gurney inspired and mentored Mandi in her personal journey - and in his last days - to get the nightmare of her past opioid addiction out of her mind and onto the page so that her story of recovery could inspire others. And that’s what Gurney did. He recognized talent. He knew a good story when he heard it. Most importantly, he connected with people to make them believe in themselves.
Gurney is widely recognized as an authority on the literary and cultural history of Appalachia, but what many people from the mountains- including writers - will tell you, he had a knack for making connections and unearthing raw, hidden talent as far back in the coal fields of Perry County in Mandi’s case. Because of Gurney, Mandi opened a bookstore in Hazard in 2020 called The Read Spotted Newt and published her book “The Nature of Pain” on October 7, just five days before Gurney died. In her forward, Mandi simply wrote “For Gurney,” and that is where it all comes full circle for Mandi. That’s how the legacy of writers continues, and there’s poetry in it, Mandi says. And it all happened accidentally, much like what Gurney penned about his own life. Mandi reads one of her favorite Gurney Norman quotes that tells about the accidental nature of destinies:
“Everything I’ve done has been a total accident and it’s worked out just fine. I absolutely know that I’m on the right path and all of my work which includes writing and teaching and consulting - everything I do is a part of a single Work, with a capital W. I have to do the Work. After I found this writing community, which was somewhat by accident, it’s all worked out just fine, and so I go back to that quote a lot. I just love that.”
Mandi has had a busy schedule promoting her new book with readings and signings throughout the region. She knows none of it would have been possible without Gurney, and with the revival of Appalachian literature that’s been rising up in the hills with burgeoning writers like Mandi, there’s plenty of Work - with a capital W - to do.
Gurney was a connector, a facilitator, a grower and nurturer. He loved to see aspiring writers flourish and take root in their passions. This, however, did not undermine his own gift for words. He had been a journalist, fiction writer, essayist, literary critic, editor and screenwriter. He had served as UK’s Creative Writing Director, was an Emory and Henry College Literary Festival honoree, which celebrates significant writers in Appalachia, he was an Eastern Kentucky Leadership Conference honoree for outstanding contributions to the advancement of regional arts and culture, and was named the 2009 -2010 Poet Laureate in Kentucky.
Gurney was inducted into the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame and into UK’s College of Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame. One of Gurney’s most special roles was serving as senior writer in residence at the Hindman Settlement School’s annual Appalachian Writers Workshop in Knott County. He is revered so much as a writer that in 2023, UK held a two- day celebration of Gurney, who retired from UK the year before. Gurney Fest featured musical performances, panel discussions, film screenings and readings of his work. A memorial of Gurney’s life’s Work - with a capital W - will take place on the weekend of Dec. 6 and 7.
There will no doubt be plenty of writers there to pay tribute to his impact, especially writers from Gurney’s home in the Appalachian region of Southeast Kentucky. Planning to go is Robert Gipe, one of Appalachia’s newest authors from Harlan County, who got to know Gurney through their collaborative work in Southeast Kentucky, mainly with community art education in isolated mountain communities before becoming a published author with his award-winning trilogy – “Trampoline,” “Weedeater” and “Pop.” Robert worked at Appalshop in Whitesburg, a media arts and education center that strives to document and revitalize lasting traditions and contemporary creativity in the mountains. Gipe has also headed up the Appalachian program and center at Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College.
Popular Kentucky writer George Ella Lyon, who has shared with Gurney the distinction of Kentucky Poet Laureate (her’s was in 2015 – 2016) was mentored by Gurney when she attended UK. She said Gurney had become a close friend until he passed and that his impact had been so great that she could not imagine her life if Gurney had not stepped into it. She called him the “Professor of Possibility” because of his penchant to foster people’s creativity and belief in their Work - with a capital W. George Ella said that he believed in community so much and knew how important it was because of the difficult times and the wounds from his own childhood. She said Gurney had to survive by finding a sense of community in different circumstances like writing and connecting.
Because of Gurney, Mandi found the courage to write about that “voice place” that George Ella speaks of when describing Gurney’s literary contributions. In her debut book “The Nature of Pain,” Mandi recalls coming of age during the Southeast opioid epidemic of the late 1990s and early 2000s and she talks about the importance of kinship and connection to place while exposing the hard truth about communities transformed by elicit drugs. Including herself, Mandi said that Gurney’s fingerprints were on the Work - with a capital W - of many Appalachian authors lifting up their voices and stories above the hills and hollers for all to hear.
After Gurney got a few critically acclaimed books under his belt like “Divine Rights Trip” and then “Kinfolks,” “Ancient Creek” and “Allegiance,” he joined the faculty of UK in 1979 and eventually became the English department’s Creative Writing Program Director. He retired in 2020 as Professor Emeritus. He previously co-wrote and presented three films for Kentucky Educational Television (KET) and three short films based on his book “Kinfolks.” Gurney co-founded Old Cove Press with his wife, Nyoka Hawkins, who he is survived by. Gurney was 88 years old.
Now that Mandi’s literary destiny has come full circle, thanks to Gurney, she is now seeing who she can inspire and mentor to carry on his Work - with a capital W. She’s excited to see a new wave of interest in Appalachian writing spreading over the land. The circle of life in the literary world will continue on the weekend of Dec. 6-7 during the University’s Gurney Norman memorial programming. Mandi will be one of the speakers.
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