Everyone loves a good story.
However, storytelling, whether written or spoken, is a talent not everyone possesses. In Appalachian Life, Catherine Yael Serota shares her gift through stories about her mountain life and tales from history and her imagination. From the awfulest Christmas tree and Peking duck to stories of an unsung war hero and a couple of mischievous boys named Bobby and Jack, Catherine’s tales are humorous and heartwarming.
Whether you grew up in the mountains or have never even seen one, you will love reading these short stories—some fact, some fiction—about life in Appalachia.
“Many artists endeavor to capture scenes of Appalachia on canvas, but Catherine paints landscapes with descriptive prose.” – Tim Lowry
A lifelong storyteller, Catherine Yael Serota Shealy was first published at age twelve in the UNC-Asheville publication, Laurel. Today, her storytelling portfolio contains tales of Appalachian history, folk tales, tall tales, personal vignettes, and literary masterpieces seasoned with humor. She holds degrees from five universities in subjects ranging from concert piano and European History to counseling and theology.
As a professional storyteller, Catherine has performed at Asheville’s Front Porch, TELLABRATION!™, Blue Ridge Storytelling Summit, Stone Soup Festival, Mountain Makins Festival, house concerts, synagogues, the Hendersonville Center for Art and Inspiration, and corporate and therapeutic venues. She is a member of the National Storytelling Network, NC Guild, Asheville Storytelling Circle, and a performing member of the Jonesborough Storytellers Guild.
Some of her fondest memories are of time spent with her mother collecting plant samples in the forests of the Southern Highlands, writing legislation in North Carolina for funding to support survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and the twenty-five years she spent owning and operating Glenfiddich Christmas Tree Farm and Nursery in Haywood County, North Carolina, where she designed and built a hand-hewn poplar log house with her first husband, Bob Scott.
Catherine and her husband, Wallace, now live in a small mountain town in Tennessee when they aren’t out of state birdwatching or on one of their “go-look-see” trips.