Ink pen: Hey Arnow, what's the best thing about being a writer?

Arnow: Not being wrong!! chuckle, chuckle...

Well, indeed this dialogue between Arnow and her pen is imagined. But, this talented author did write some books that were so "right" she won many prestigious awards. Who is this Kentucky woman? Let me tell you some of her story:

Harriette Louise Arnow was born in 1908 in rural Wayne County. She attended the local public schools and went on first to Berea College and finally achieved a B.A. in science from the University of Louisville in 1930. For a short time in her life Arnow worked as a teacher and principal.

But, she choose to spend most of her time writing. Although Arnow moved from Kentucky to find that time to write, her love for our state never budged. Arnow's first novel titled Mountain Path (1936) was the first of her Kentucky books trilogy. Second in the trilogy was Hunter's Horn (1949), which was a best seller and won her national acclaim as a novelist. Hunter's Horn was about a the life of a Kentucky hill farmer and his ongoing efforts to catch a sly red fox he calls King Devil. Third in the trilogy was her most popular novel, The Dollmaker (1954). This novel was made into a TV movie in 1983 starring Jane Fonda. The novel is about a Kentucky family's difficult move from the mountains to a Detroit, Michigan housing project.

Throughout her professional career, Arnow received many prestigious accolades for her poignant stories. In 1954, she was honored with the titles Kentucky Woman of the Year, the American Writer's Award and the National Book Award in 1955. Other awards she received include honorary doctorate degrees from Albion College in Michigan, Translyvania University and the University of Kentucky.

 Source:

Potter, Eugenia K. Kentucky Women Two Centuries of Indomitable Spirit and Vision. Louisville: Four Colour Imports, 1997.