Carl E. Feather

Carl E. Feather lives in Bruceton Mills, W.Va., where he is a regular contributor to Goldenseal Magazine (W.Va. Dept. of Culture and History). Carl finds all aspects of Appalachian life and culture of great interest as a creator of short films. books and documentary photography.

His most recent book, My Fathers' Land, required four years to research and write--admittedly, the timeline was extended by a heart attack, three-month hospital, several surgeries, a move to West Virginia and numerous major remodeling jobs.

My Fathers' Land is both a history of his ancestors in West Virginia and a memoir of his journey back to the mountains. The project involved locating the sites of the old farms they owned and updating those farms' stories with current owners.

With My Fathers' Land published, Carl is turning his attention to writing a series of books based upon his years of "wandering" West Virginia in search of stories for Goldenseal Magazine. He's calling the series "Wandering West Virginia." The first entry should be available February 2024.

He also writes about Americana and the history of Ashtabula County, Ohio, where he grew up and spent his 9-to-5 years. Carl was a features writer and reporter for the Ashtabula Star Beacon for more than 25 years before joining the Ashtabula County Board of Commissioners staff to work in tourism development and lodging tax administration. Now retired, he focuses on writing books about Appalachia and northeast Ohio history.

Carl's varied interests include collecting and projecting 16mm films, restoring old radios and projectors, and preserving 8mm, super 8mm and 16mm films.

Carl is married to Ruth, a Certified Ophthalmic Technician employed with Regional Eye Associates in Morgantown, W.Va. She is his best friend and encourager.