Annual Jesse Stuart Weekend at Greenbo Lake Resort Park

Annual Jesse Stuart Weekend

at Greenbo Lake Resort Park

Pamela Hall

The Ashland Beacon

The name Jesse Stuart is certainly a familiar one to most people in the area. Jesse was born and raised on W-Hollow in Greenup and lived there most of his life. Stuart was an educator and prolific writer and author who became well known across the country for his Appalachian literature. That literature included novels, poetry, short stories, and autobiographical nonfiction works. He was named Kentucky Poet Laureate in 1954 and won many literary awards, even being nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1977. He and his wife, Naomi Deane, established the Jesse Stuart Foundation (JSF) in 1979 as a regional publishing house, not only for his works but for other Kentucky and Appalachian authors as well.

For over 40 years, with the exception of the COVID-19 pandemic years, the Jesse Stuart Foundation has held the annual Jesse Stuart Weekend at Greenbo Lake State Resort Park, at the Jesse Stuart Lodge, which was named in his honor. This year, the event will be held on September 25-26. The weekend will be filled with opportunities to learn more about the life of Jesse Stuart and the land he loved Greenup County.

“The purpose of the Jesse Stuart Weekend,” explained Dr. James Gifford, CEO and Senior Publisher of the Jesse Stuart Foundation, “is to host a good, spirited homecoming for Stuart fans nationwide. Over the last 41 years, I have noticed that people arrive as visitors and leave as friends. We create a relationship with people that continues long after the weekend ends.”

The Jesse Stuart Weekend will begin on Friday, September 25, at 10:00 a.m. with registration in the lobby of the Jesse Stuart Lodge. There will be a Meet the Authors Book Signing event until noon, featuring several authors who are published through the Jesse Stuart Foundation. Those authors include Dr. Gifford, Pamela Hall, John W. McCauley, Wayne Onkst, David Palmore, Cathy Roberts, and others.

Friday afternoon events begin at 1:30 p.m. with a hike on the Jesse Stuart Nature Preserve or a boat cruise on Greenbo Lake. Attendees should wear appropriate shoes for hiking or boating, as well as sunscreen. The evening session at 7:00 p.m. will feature a presentation by John W. McCauley, who will speak on Stuart’s life and writing. He will share some of Stuart’s original work, as well as an unpublished manuscript. The evening will conclude with a reception and refreshments.

Saturday, September 26, events begin at 9:00 a.m. with a one-mile hike on the Fern Valley Trail at Greenbo Lake. There is also a bus tour of W-Hollow, which is the beating heart of the Jesse Stuart Weekend, according to Gifford.

“It’s really helpful for people who haven’t been there before to see the land that inspired Jesse Stuart’s literary creations,” Gifford remarked.

Saturday afternoon events will include a bus tour through Greenup County at 2:00 p.m. or a trip to the JSF Bookstore.

“No matter what your age or reading interest,” Gifford said, “we have books that people would enjoy reading. That’s an interesting thing about our store.”

The event will conclude at the lodge with a Kentucky Chautauqua performance at 7:00 p.m. by Lisa Woods as Loretta Lynn in Mem’ries of a Coal Miner’s Daughter.

“This is something that relates to Stuart’s culture,” said Gifford about the performance. “What Stuart wrote about, Loretta sang about.”

David Palmore, a JSF board member, will be available throughout the weekend to evaluate items such as Jesse Stuart first editions and other memorabilia. Palmore is the nation’s foremost expert on Stuart collectible books and memorabilia.

Reservations for rooms at the Jesse Stuart Lodge may be made by calling 606-473-7324. Meals will be available at the Angler’s Cove Restaurant at the lodge. There is no charge for any of the events of the Jesse Stuart Weekend.

“I see us as a service organization,” Gifford explained. “We do this to serve the public, and at the same time, to promote literacy and learning.”

Don’t miss the Jesse Stuart Weekend at Greenbo Lake State Resort Park, September 25-26. The weekend just may inspire you to become a writer!