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Mountain Singer

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If you've dayhiked the Appalachian Trail up Blood Mountain in North Georgia, you probably parked at the Byron Herbert Reece Memorial Area. There's also a nature trail named after Reece at nearby Vogel State Park, and the state's historical drama, The Reach of Song, is based on Reece's life and writings.

This biography/anthology is an excellent introduction to the late poet (1917-1958), based on articles, interviews, and previously unpublished journals and letters of Reece himself. The book includes historical photographs of Reece and is scholarly in its research but highly readable in its writing style.

Also included is a large collection of Reece's poetry, drawn from the four volumes of poetry he published in his lifetime. Reece was a master of the poetic ballad, and most of his poems reflect the deep spirituality and the stark realism of the North Georgia mountain people. Highly influenced by the graceful language and rhythms of the King James Bible, Reece breathed new life into traditional poetic forms. This book is highly recommended if you want a rich understanding of this complex, spiritual poet and the mountains and culture he loved.