Friday, August 19, 2005

Jim Comstock and The West Virginia Hillbilly

I just returned this book to the library: Best of Hillbilly: A prize collection of 100-proof writing from Jim Comstock's West Virginia Hillbilly. This delightful book is out of print, but used copies are available at Amazon.com from time to time. Jim Comstock published his newspaper in Richwood, WV, not all that far from us in Pocahontas County, and he had a rivalry with Cal Price, the late editor of the Pocahontas Times. I love to reread "The Richwood Panther Hoax," perpetrated by Comstock on Price (pp 47-60).

For another Pocahontas County literati connection, check out the dust jacket blurb by Pearl S. Buck.

For years I have followed The West Virginia Hillbilly. Witty, colorful and independent, Jim Comstock speaks the truth as he sees it and knows it. The cream of everything he has said is in this book. It is perfect Americana.

You can get a little taste of Comstock and his style from this 1975 interview by Dave Peyton.

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