Karen Shields, a graduate student of Beverly Marshall’s English class and experienced actor, read the short story “The Ascent,” an excerpt from Ron Rash’s novella “Burning Bright,” Thursday night amongst students and professors in the Sims Memorial Library.

“She is exactly what we hope to do with these readings, and that is to get students here so that they can hear the voice of a reader, so maybe it will be more accessible as they are reading it to themselves,” said Heather O’Connell, an instructor of the English department.

“The Ascent” is the third among 13 short stories that will be read weekly in collaboration with freshman and sophomore English students.

Rash, a poet and short story novelist was born in S.C. but grew up in N.C. His characters, mainly docked within the Appalachian Mountain region of the U.S., take on different personas including civil war activists, children who become family scapegoats and frenzied methamphetamine addicts.

As Shields began reading “The Ascent,” the audience was immediately introduced to the setting: a family home within the mountains of the Great Smokies and a young boy, Jared, who ventures into the beyond territory. While the boy is daydreaming about fighting a bear with his pocketknife, in order to protect his imaginary romance, he stumbles upon the remains of a downed plane.

“He thought to himself, an 11-year-old who just fought a bear should not be afraid to approach an airplane,” said Shields, as she read from the book.

Inside, Jared found the frozen bodies of a man and woman, which he tended to several times. Later the boy returned home to find his parents, gluttons sitting amongst beer cans and trash, passing a pipe containing meth resin.

While high, Jared’s mother attempted to decorate the house for Christmas, and his father bragged about a rusty used mountain bike that he obtained as a present for his son.

“He smelled the methamphetamine thicker than he could remember,” read Shields.  

Audience members who attended commented on the severity of Jared’s drug-afflicted parents.

“So many kids choose to go back to their abusive parents,” said Mary Mocsary of the English department. “I don’t think meth addicts care.”

“It’s apparently a big problem in rural poor areas and there are a lot of meth labs and addictions,” said Amy Acosta, an instructor of the English department.

 Shields as well commented on her impressions of the short story.

“I found it to be a very touching story, thought provoking,” said Shields.

The next Rash reading, “The Woman Who Believed in Jaguars,” will be on Thursday, March 3 in the Sims Memorial Library. According to Acosta, Rash will be in attendance at Southeastern and will take questions on Wednesday, March 16 in the Vonnie Borden theatre.