James Baker Hall

KET will be airing a 2002 program featuring the late James Baker Hall Sunday, June 28 at 10:30/9:30 p.m. CT on KET1. LIVING BY WORDS, a 90-minute KET documentary, is the story of five good friends who also happen to be five of Kentucky's best-loved authors: Bobbie Ann Mason , Wendell Berry, Gurney Norman, Ed McClanahan and James Baker Hall . It is a celebration of creative writing, and in particular of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Kentucky, which all five writers attended in the 1950s and '60s.

James will be greatly missed by all Kentuckians.

RIP James Baker Hall
April 14, 1935 - June 25, 2009

One-Minute Writer - Apprentice

Today's One-Minute Writing Prompt: Apprentice

You are given the opportunity to be an apprentice for one year. Under whom will you apprentice?


I would apprentice with a great writer or novelist. Several great Kentucky writers come to mind: Bobbie Ann Mason, George Ella Lyons, and Silas House. Although Silas is a fairly new author, I love his way of writing and the voice he uses for his works.

I know I should probably add William Shakespeare to this list, but I truly don't enjoy his work, although he is a classic. I do enjoy Edgar Allan Poe and Ray Bradbury, but their works are really not the things I enjoy reading on a day to day basis.

Basically, I enjoy fiction stories - especially fantasy and science fiction - so to many people, these works aren't considered literature. So be it, I never claimed to want to be a scholarly writer. I really want to write for young adults because I have a deep love of fantasy - left over from the many daydreams of my childhood.

.