Books: Greenup Poet

At the extreme northeast corner of Kentucky, on the south bank of the Ohio, lies Greenup County—a stretch of shaggy, greenbriered hill country, twelve miles wide and 20 miles long. Among the hill people of Greenup—great hunters, fighters, Baptists and Democrats from way back— young Jesse Stuart grew up. He lived at the head of W-Hollow, fished in Little Sandy, began to write poetry before he was out of school. "Them Stuart youngins is plum fools." said Neighbor John Hackless. "If them was youngins of mine, I'd whip their tails with a hickory."

But...