Arts Heritage/History

Digital Heritage Moment: Wilma Dykeman

Digital Heritage Moment: Wilma Dykeman

Wilma Dykeman in the late 1960s

Wilma Dykeman, an Asheville native, was a major Appalachian author. Her novels The Tall Woman, The Far Family and Return the Innocent Earth vividly evoke life in the region as it experienced rapid change between the Civil War and the 20th century. They reflect her desire to counteract negative stereotypes and present Appalachian culture in a positive light. Her book about Western North Carolina’s major river, The French Broad, has been praised as an early warning about the consequences of environmental degradation. She was a passionate advocate of Appalachia’s history and culture. She taught occasionally at the University of Tennessee and was an active public speaker. She won many awards and honors for her writing, including a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Digital Heritage Moments are produced at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. To learn more, visit digitalheritage.org. You may also hear Digital Heritage Moments each weekday on radio stations WKSF-FM, WWCU-FM, WMXF-AM, WPEK-AM and WWNC-AM.

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