News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Best selling author Silas House talked about growing up in a rural area and using that experience to craft fiction during a visit to Tennessee Tech Thursday night.
House has written six novels, four plays and has written numerous articles some of which for the New York Times. He can also add Grammy Nominee to his titles, as he wrote the music video for Tyler Childers’ “In Your Love”. House said he has fond memories of the Upper Cumberland.
“Growing up the only place we went on vacation is Dale Hollow Lake, so I’m familiar with this whole area of Tennessee,” House said. “It’s just very similar culturally to where I’m from”
House is from Kentucky, and his work often features settings, characters and themes revolving around the south. He said he feels at home talking with people in an area similar to where his novels are set and where he grew up.
“I talked to a class earlier today and got to talk to several students afterwards, and they have a lot of the similar concerns about everything in the world right now that I do, hopefully that my writing is speaking to,” House said. “So it’s been a real pleasure.”
House spoke at the Backdoor Playhouse Thursday night. He said including themes related to the south in his work is something he does both intentionally and subconsciously.
“It’s a little bit of both,” House said. “I mean to some degree I try to write the book that I want to read, and so often I’m writing about things I’m interested in, you know, but a lot of times the best writing comes organically.”
House said he is currently working on two new projects to keep an eye out for in the future.
“I have a new short story collection that was just turned into my publisher,” House said. “It’ll be out in a couple years. I also just sold a picture book. It’s about my beagle.”
House is currently working with an illustrator on completing his picture book. No release date has been set for that project.
House’s latest novel Lark Ascending is now on sale wherever books are sold. It is the winner of the 2023 Southern Book Prize. House said he is excited to be back in Tennessee.
“I grew up just 20 miles from the Tennessee border, so I’ve always felt a dual citizenship,” House said. “When I was growing up, when we went to the city, you know, we went to Knoxville. I’ve always felt so comfortable in Tennessee and love people from Tennessee.”
