Bio:John Foster West

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John Foster West (December 10, 1918 - May 2, 2008) was born in the hills of western North Carolina (Wilkes County). He struck out for a better life than that of his farmer parents as soon as he was able. After service in World War II, West attended Mars Hill College and then graduate school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he helped found The Carolina Quarterly. After teaching at Old Dominion University in Virginia, he settled in Boone, NC, and taught creative writing for three decades at Appalachian State University. A distinguished folklorist, West served as president of the North Carolina Folklore Society. His book This Proud Land chronicled the lives of mountain folk, and he was widely recognized as an expert on the folk legend of Tom Dula, which he explored in two books. He also published several volumes of poetry including Up, Ego! and Wry Wine. His novels include the acclaimed Time Was and its sequel Appalachian Dawn. He died in High Point, NC.