A truly unforgettable person
I met Danny more than a decade ago at an Appalachian Studies Association Conference. I attended his session and was so impressed by his presentation — his obvious passion for the subject; his excitement in presenting the information; his completely animated delivery all intrigued a young history graduate student such as myself. I talked with him afterwards, and as typically happened with Danny, became fast friends. Danny was that truly unusual person that could immediately make you feel special by simply smiling, or being in his presence, or receiving one of his big hugs. He always concentrated on *you* when you were talking and treated everyone the same. In a field (academics) where ego is so often the rule, Danny was unassuming, real, and utterly wonderful. I took down his amazing book, “Wingless Flights” the other night and read his inscription to me. “I am so glad that we met. I know we will be friends forever.” He meant that, and I always appreciated his love of life and his faith in humanity. When I heard of Danny’s passing, I was stunned. I could not get the news out of my head. It was unfathomable to me that this wonderful, caring person was no longer a part of this world, enriching it and making it better. Solace is felt by those who realize what a startling privilege we had to have ever known him at all. I will always remember Danny’s love of Appalachia - its people and land. He understood the love and connection of place, appreciated the people and land. . . and for that, we are all richer. His loss leaves a real void in the study of Appalachian Literature. I know he would appreciate and connect with the following passage of a woman’s love of the land from “A Patch of Earth” by West Virginia Poet Laureat, Louise McNeill.
“And how the earth holds us is still a dark question. It is not the sucking deepness that draws us, for the earth is mother, protector, the home; but the oppressor too. It requires, sometimes, the very lifeblood of its own, and imprison the fly-away dreams and bends the backs of men and women. Yet, to love a familiar patch of earth is to know something beyond death….”
God bless those left to grieve the passing of this great man. We are all blessed to have known him.
Shirley Stewart Burns, Charleston, West Virginia