Eliot Wigginton The Foxfire

The Foxfire project was initially a series of magazine articles generated as a by-product of Professor, Eliot Wigginton, as an effort to get his high school students interested in writing efficiently. The novels, however, accomplished far more than they ever set out to. The stories were able to propel Appalachian folklore and culture into the spotlight for not only the nation, but furthermore the world to enjoy and reflect on. The books were listed as a best seller, and received a plethora of awards for their delivery of remote knowledge into public view. Later the project would grow into a nonprofit foundation for helping to preserve Appalachian culture.
The editor, Eliot Wigginton gained his first Masters from Cornell University and a second …show more content…
I believe this book is a must read for all historians and geographers that have any connection to southern traditional heritage, I also highly recommend it to anyone interested in how the lives of their ancestors were carried out on a day to day basis were. Many of the teachings of the book are dated and useless, but to understand the people of this area one must venture through time to the strong foundation which holds this society together at the seams. The teachings modeled in the story are from humbled origins. They are relative of a much simpler time when survival and family were the only things that mattered in the minds of the inhabitants. Who knows what the future uses of these books entail? The practical aspects of this novel are limitless. The idea of the foxfire novels was a wonderful idea and a brilliant concept. The books worked to reshape the face of Appalachian culture, and to get the community in touch with its roots. The idea was so wonderful that many cultures across the united states began to model their curriculums with the foxfire project in mind. The grammar is lacking, but the message is clear; this is what “down home” lifestyle