Appalachian author Lee Smith says of James Still that he “is one of our greatest American poets. In particular he has captured the spirit and language of the Appalachian South—his own beloved patch of ground in eastern Kentucky—like no other. He is a writer of passion and principle whose poems remain fresh and vivid, stirring the soul.”

Ted Olson presents all of James Still’s poems in chronological order, including some never before published. Still, poet laureate of Kentucky and recipient of many awards, died just before the book was published in the spring of 2001.

From the Mountain From the Valley was recipient of the 2002 Appalachian Book of the Year Award from the Appalachian Writers Association.