Piano in a Sycamore is a unique handbook for readers and writers featuring writing instruction and advice from selected staff members of the acclaimed Appalachian Writers? Workshop at Hindman Settlement School from the last forty years. The first Appalachian Writers? Workshop was organized in the summer of 1977 when Albert Stewart invited fellow Kentucky writers Harriette Simpson Arnow, James Still, and Billy C. Clark to the Forks of Troublesome to teach creative writing to the first gathering of about twenty students. Today the workshop has become known as the literary heartbeat for an entire region. Piano in a Sycamore covers a wide range of topics including writing prompts, meditations on the writing process, reading suggestions, and very specific craft suggestions for writers. This anthology is a must-have for anyone who loves writing, reading, or the life-changing experiences of the Appalachian Writers? Workshop.Hindman Settlement School was the first rural social settlement school established in America in 1902 by May Stone and Katherine Pettit in Hindman, Kentucky. The school soon became a model center for education, healthcare, and social services. Today the Settlement School is a vibrant beacon for progressive learning, community enrichment, and cultural exploration in the central Appalachian region.… (more)