Stories I Lived to Tell

“Gary Carden’s Stories I Live to Tell weaves together self-reflection, autobiography, folklore, and a small slice of Appalachian history, which the author conveys through a series of short but emotionally impactful stories. . . . Anyone interested in Appalachian studies or the experiences of people who inhabit the Southern mountains will find something engaging and compelling within the complex memories in Stories I Live to Tell.”—Appalachian Journal

“[Carden’s] genius is firmly rooted in the oral tradition of the face-to-face performance of storytelling.”—North Carolina Literary Review

“Gary Carden is the last of the lantern keepers and with him goes the flame. Stories I Lived to Tell makes me thankful for the immortality of the written word.”—David Joy, author of Those We Thought We Knew

“Gary Carden is a national treasure.”—Lee Smith, author of Dimestore: A Writer’s Life

“A complex exploration of Appalachia, but the true subject of this book is Gary Carden. His voice, his vulnerable confessions, his many ups and downs, these all reveal a well-considered and well-lived life.”—Jeremy B. Jones, author of Bearwallow: A Personal History of a Mountain Homeland