From the Margins: Revisiting Mildred Haun’s Genre and Literary Craft

Mildred Haun burst onto the Appalachian literary scene when her 1940 book, The Hawk’s Done Gone, was published. The work, a collection of ten stories, offers an in-depth and instructional catalogue of Haun’s native east Tennessee mountain culture through the voice of Mary Dorthula Kanipe, a respected granny-woman trapped in a patriarchal social structure. The Hawk’s Done Gone enjoyed favorable reviews at its time of publication, but it quickly slipped into obscurity. Haun’s short life and complicated relationship with her publisher may have pushed her voice into the margins during her time, but The Hawk’s Done Gone provides cultural observation and connection to a way of life and oral tradition that is deserving of attention today. This paper provides a brief biography of Haun, a discussion of the publication history and genre of The Hawk’s Done Gone, and a close reading of “Melungeon-Colored,” a part of the collection that exemplifies many of the themes central to the general body of the work. The significance of The Hawk’s Done Gone lies as much in what it avoids as what it addresses. Haun’s craft, especially in reference to her narrator, allows her to present a catalogue of east Tennessee mountain culture for the instruction of the reader, while her narrator’s awareness of the audience and selective sharing facilitate not only observation, but also critique.Bachelor of Art