Cratis Williams: Living the Divided Life

Cratis Williams: Living the Divided Life

Welcome

a documentary by Fred Johnson
and Media Working Group

Balladeer, Linguist, Cultural Activist, Storyteller
Cratis Williams was an eloquent defender of Appalachian Culture and one of the most important scholars of the post-war era.

In this hour-long documentary, Cratis visits his ancestral homeland and family on Caines Creek in Eastern Kentucky's Big Sandy Valley. He reminisces about confronting the stereotypes of Appalachian Culture and personalities while growing up among descendants of "Kentucky Long Hunters, veterans of the American Revolution, Tories escaped to the backwoods, refugees from the Whisky Rebellion, and Kentucky Mountain feudists.

Also featured in the documentary are leading Appalachian writers and scholars Gurney Norman, Pat Beaver, Grace Edwards, Loyal Jones, Jim Wayne Miller, and David Williams, attesting to the historical importance of Dr. Cratis Williams' work for a generation of artists, writers and scholars.

If you want to know more about 'Mr. Appalachia" this site features critical resources by writers and scholars of Appalachia and Cratis Willliams. It also provides background information about the production of the documentary. We hope you enjoy the site.

Welcome

a documentary by Fred Johnson and Media Working Group

a documentary by Fred Johnson
and Media Working Group