On September 9-10, the University will remember and celebrate the life of Emma Bell Miles, a pioneering ethnographer of Southern Appalachian culture. Bringing together artists, educators, folklorists, musicians, naturalists, regional food enthusiasts, and writers, The Second Annual Emma Bell Miles Symposium on Southern Appalachian Culture & Nature will be held in the University Center. The symposium is free and open to the public. Advance registration is appreciated.
“The symposium is a combination celebration of her life and work, and an academic study of the various aspects of what she created, be it art, poetry, or an interpretation of southern Appalachia. We are hoping to bring together scholars and people from all walks of life to teach them about Emma Bell Miles and the legacy she left behind,” Steve Cox, Special Collections Librarian and University Archivist at the UTC Lupton Library, said.
The symposium will include oral presentations, live music, panel discussions, and art exhibits. In his presentation, Cox hopes to clear up some assumptions about the life of Emma Bell Miles.
“My presentation is on her life, and how the early biographical accounts were not always accurate and even were responsible on starting some myths about her and her family. I hope to set the record straight,” Cox said.
Emma Bell Miles (1879-1919) was a writer, painter, and naturalist who lived on Walden’s Ridge and in Chattanooga. Her books, which she also illustrated, include The Spirit of the Mountains, Strains from a Dulcimore, and Our Southern Birds. She is recognized as a pioneering ethnographer of the changing Southern Appalachian culture of her time.
She also recorded her observations in journals, letters, poetry and paintings. The symposium is a unique opportunity to experience guided tours of sites in the Chattanooga area that Miles painted and described in her books and journals. In addition, the Special Collections of the UTC Lupton Library house Miles’ journals and other memorabilia.
You can also register at the symposium. For more information, contact Steve Cox at (423) 425-2186 or steven-cox@utc.edu. For registration details and schedule of events, click here.
