Mark Twain once wrote, "We are nothing but echoes." Despite this pronouncement, Twain's voice continues to reverberate in the 21st century. Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn helped define modern American literature, creating The Huck Finn Tradition in contemporary writing.

This volume discusses the intertextual connections between Twain's iconic novel and eight works by celebrated American author Cormac McCarthy, including Suttree, The Orchard Keeper, Blood Meridian, All the Pretty Horses, The Crossing, Cities of the Plain, No Country for Old Men, and The Road. By chronicling the diverse scholarly comparisons between Twain and McCarthy and exploring the echoes of Twain and Huck Finn in McCarthy's writing, this study reveals how McCarthy has not only absorbed Twain's tradition, but transformed it, with consequences that surpass the work of other Twain heirs.

Appalachian people are frequently depicted as poorly educated whites who isolate themselves in mountain hollows. In Seeking Home, editors Leslie Harper Worthington and Jürgen E. Grandt turn that stereotype upside down by showcasing Appalachia’s ethnic diversity through a lively collection of essays discussing fiction, poetry, letters, and songs.

This distinct collection begins with a personal narrative in which Worthington relates how she discovered her own home through teaching Lee Smith’s Fair and Tender Ladies. Other essays range from the anticipated—Ron Rash, Barbara Kingsolver, Harriette Simpson Arnow—to the unanticipated—Charles Frazier’s magical realism, a Confederate soldier’s journals, and three different examinations of Affrilachian poets. Adding further texture to the collection are essays examining the diversity in

Appalachian music, including Cherokee song and dance, a discussion of Appalachian mining songs, and an examination of recording technology and authenticity. Seeking Home confirms that just as there are many Souths, there are also many Appalachias. The region is multifaceted, multicultural, and all we have to do is be willing to examine the variety.

In this honest and moving memoir, Why Would You Leave Me? Leslie Harper Worthington chronicles her journey of abandonment, trauma, and resilience. Through the raw and intimate lens of poetry, she recounts her childhood shaped by the discovery of painful truths about her parentage and the tumult of adolescence without adult guidance. Her story is one of yearning for connection, unraveling the lies that shrouded her identity, and learning to forgive. This collection of poems is a testament to the complexities of growing up abandoned, yet it is also a celebration of love's quiet strength, the scars of grief, and the eventual peace that comes with understanding. Through verses of sorrow and healing, Worthington offers a reflection on the search for self, belonging, and the strength to keep moving forward.

In Lingering: A Poet’s Journey through Literary Landscapes, poet and photographer Leslie Harper Worthington embarks on a literary pilgrimage, visiting the homes, graves, and monuments of the world’s great writers. Each stop inspires an original poem—rooted in reflections on the writer’s life, work, and legacy—paired with an evocative photograph taken at the site.

From a modest cottage to a grand mansion, a secluded burial ground to a weathered monument, each location becomes a lens through which to explore the enduring influence of its subject. Spanning the United States and beyond, this collection is both a travelogue of literary heritage and a meditation on the power of place. Within these pages, readers will encounter not only the spirits of beloved poets and novelists, but also a testament to the ways stories outlive their authors.