Dear Editor,

Below is a letter I wrote to Radford University President Penelope Kyle and Provost Wil Stanton.

With great concern, I read of Radford University’s proposed elimination of the Appalachian Studies Department. Realizing this is a difficult time and tough decisions must be made, I would ask that you reconsider this decision. The Appalachian Studies Department at Radford is one of the jewels in the University’s crown.

As a nationally acclaimed novelist who writes about Appalachia, its culture, and its people, this decision impacts scholarship far beyond the University walls. Artistically, the loss would be enormous. Historical novels such as the ones I write could never be done without the diligent scholarship taking place every day in universities such as yours. Indeed, I credit the beginning of my writing life to Radford University, when I attended the Appalachian Writers Conference, which was held with the support of the Appalachian Studies Department.

The subsequent support I have received from your faculty and staff cannot be expressed in a mere letter, but I would not be the writer I am today without your university and that department in particular.

Sincerely,

Gretchen Moran Laskas
Author of The Midwife’s Tale and The Miner’s Daughter
Fairfax, Va.