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Published in 1993 by Gnomon Press

In His First, Best Country, the sequel to his earlier book Newfound, Jim Wayne Miller delivers an unforgettable Appalachian novel. His lyrical prose captures the pull of home as he explores our ties to land, neighbors, and self, exploring what’s most painful and sustaining about belonging.

Originally published in 1989, this Gnomon Press edition was released in 1996.

In Newfound, Jim Wayne Miller offers a lyrical, plain-spoken coming-of-age story set in Appalachian Tennessee. In episodic vignettes, young Robert navigates his parents’ divorce, life on his grandparents’ farms, and seasonal rhythms. By age seventeen he leaves Newfound Creek for Berea College, shaped by family lore and hard-won lessons. In 1993 Miller published a sequel: His First, Best Country.

Published in 1997 by Gnomon Press. Jim Wayne Miller’s The Brier Poems, published posthumously, is a selection of poetry from The Mountains Have Come Closer (where the Brier figure first emerged) and Brier, His Book, along with additional poems not published in previous volumes. It celebrates the Appalachian region and its people through “The Brier,” the enlightened Appalachian who laments what is happening to the world that nurtured him. Through vivid imagery and rich language, Miller explores themes of identity and tradition and the connection between the land and its inhabitants. The poems capture the spirit and resilience of Appalachian culture, blending personal reflection with social commentary. Miller’s work highlights the beauty and complexity of life in the mountains, offering a voice to the often-overlooked experiences of rural Appalachia.