Author Sharyn McCrumb and musician Jack Hinshelwood provided their audience at Tusculum College an intimate and sometimes light-hearted view into the genesis and themes of McCrumb’s award-winning and best-selling novels. The two presented the “Words and Music” program on Tuesday evening at the Behan Arena Theatre on campus as part of Arts Outreach’s Acts, Arts, Academia 2009-10 performance and lecture series. One series of McCrumb’s work are described as the “Appalachian ballad” novels because of the integral part music plays in their literary structure and influence in themes as well as a source for book titles. McCrumb gave a preview of her next ballad novel, which involves a famous murder case in Wise County, Va., in the 1930s and how the national media covering the case created and nurtured an exaggerated “backwoods” stereotype of the region. She also discussed her NASCAR-related novels and her journey from someone who knew nothing about stock car racing when she began researching “St. Dale” to writing a novel with a race car driver Adam Edwards. Between McCrumb’s comments and readings from the novels, Hinshelwood played songs related to the books.
