The world lost a well-respected writer, teacher, and Appalachian son, on July 29, 2021. In memory of this wonderful soul, Jeff Daniel Marion, Linda Parsons established the Jeff Daniel Marion Scholarship for Appalachian Writers at Hindman Settlement School. Danny taught creative writing at Carson-Newman College from 1969 until he retired in 2002, receiving numerous awards and accolades along the way. In 2003, Danny’s Ebbing & Flowing Springs: New and Selected Poems and Prose, 1976-2001 was named the Appalachian Book of the Year by the Appalachian Writers Association. In 2005, Carson-Newman presented Danny with the Outstanding Educational Service to Appalachia Award. While serving as the University of Tennessee’s writer-in-residence, he received the James Still award in 2011 for writing about the Appalachian South from the Fellowship of Southern Writers.
In addition to being a heavily decorated and highly accomplished writer, Danny was a long-time participant and instructor in the Appalachian Writers’ Workshop here at Hindman Settlement School. Linda states that Danny has always felt a sense of camaraderie, cultural appreciation, and community during his time at the Appalachian Writers’ Workshop. She said that the workshop offered both her and Danny the opportunity to forge lifelong and life-changing relationships with fellow writers. As Danny and Linda learned, shared, and experienced the unique personalities of the Writers’ Workshop over soup beans and books, they found a nurturing family of writers at Hindman Settlement School.
The Writers’ Workshop held a place close to Danny’s heart for a long time. Thus, she felt there was no better way to honor Danny’s memory than ensuring that someone else could experience that same sense of support and camaraderie that kept them coming back year after year. Additionally, Linda did not want financial barriers to prevent a truly passionate individual from attending the workshop. Therefore, Linda started the Jeff Daniel Marion Scholarship for Appalachian Writers to break down those barriers and pass on that zealous fire that he held for the Workshop and craft to an aspiring writer. Over time, Linda hopes others will contribute to the endowment, allowing the scholarship to fund a place here at the Writers’ Workshop indefinitely. In doing so, Linda will ensure that the memory of Jeff Daniel Marion will live on for generations to come.
Support the Fund
Your support will help grow Linda’s lead gift of $10,000 to provide a sustained source of revenue each year–in perpetuity–for a writer to join us at the Forks of Troublesome Creek.
About Linda Parsons
Poet, playwright, essayist, and editor, Linda Parsons is the poetry editor for Madville Publishing and copy editor for Chapter 16, the literary website of Humanities Tennessee. A widely published poet, her fifth collection is Candescent (Iris Press, 2019). Five of her plays have been produced by Flying Anvil Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee, the current being SuffRAGE: To Give Voice, with Jeannette Brown, on Tennessee’s crucial role in ratifying the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote.
