Elkhorn

Recipient of the 2018 Thomas D. Clark Medallion“What a pleasure it is as a Kentuckian to know that Richard Taylor dwells among us. I can't imagine a better guide to the rivers and streams of our state. With a poet's eye and a historian's curiosity, he takes us deep into the ancient story of Elkhorn Creek, a tale as richly layered as the stratified limestone along its banks.” — Erik Reece, author of Lost Mountain: A Year in the Vanishing Wilderness“Richard Taylor's rich prose and forty years of personal experience while living near and floating the Elkhorn offer readers a superb, diverse portrait of this beloved region.” — Ron Ellis, editor of Of Woods and Waters: A Kentucky Outdoors Reader«Richard Taylor's Elkhorn: Evolution of a Kentucky Landscape — a rather unique blend of artful writing, personal anecdote, historical research, and narrative vignette — will bring a new audience (and level of appreciation) to Kentucky's lively past.” — Valerie Askren, author of Hike the Bluegrass and Beyond
“Having lived in the beautiful Elkhorn Creek valley for more than thirty years, I thought I knew a lot about it. But when I read Richard Taylor's new book, my eyes were opened to the colorful and fascinating history of the creek and the major impact it had on the development of modern Kentucky. Taylor takes the reader on a wonderful journey through both the natural and cultural history of Elkhorn Creek, weaving in the physical, psychological, philosophical, and sometimes spiritual impact the creek had, and still has, on Kentuckians.” — Marc Evans, board chair of the Kentucky Natural Lands TrustRichard Taylor is professor of English and Kenan Visiting Writer at Transylvania University and former Poet Laureate of Kentucky. Taylor has written numerous books, including Sue Mundy: A Novel of the Civil War, Girty, and Earth Bones.