While working at the Appalachian Center’s latest the Dinner on the Grounds I had the chance to listen to Charles Dodd White read from his latest book IN THE HOUSE OF WILDERNESS. He gave the audience a glimpse of what homelessness in rural Appalachia might look like by describing the experiences of his characters as they struggled to survive amidst the harsh realities of their surrounding environment.

While listening to him read, I was struck by the depth of the characters, especially the two women, Rain and Winter. I felt I was able to get a sense of who they truly were simply by listening to their dialogue. There was also a great deal of imagery like when he compared a realtor sticking out his hand for a handshake as a jack knife sticking out its blade.

When Mr. White was done reading, the audience took time to soak in all of the words and images that Mr. White had just given. They later asked questions like how Mr. White had developed the characters and where he had gained inspiration from their economic poverty. It was exciting to see that he had spent time trying to understand the homelessness within the Rural Appalachia and I cannot wait for his next book!

To learn more about Charles White and his works you can visit https://charlesdoddwhitewriter.com/

Article written by Elston Harris