Kentucky Quilts and Their Makers

Kentucky\u27s contribution to the perennially popular American craft of quiltmaking is a rich and varied one. Mary Clarke examines here the state of the craft in Kentucky and finds it as lively today as it was 150 years ago. Like a fingerprint, every Kentucky quilt differs from all others in some respects, whether it is an original creation or a variation of one of the traditional patterns long popular in the United States. And many Kentucky quilts reveal much about the individual maker—her disposition, taste, and lifestyle, the familiar objects that bring joy to her daily life, and her response to events beyond the confines of family and home. Taken as a whole, Kentucky quilts and quilt names reflect the history of the Commonwealth, at every turn showing the intermingling of old and new in the grassroots continuity of an ancient craft that responds to fads and fashions by absorbing and refining them. Mary Washington Clarke is emeritus professor of English and folklore at Western Kentucky University. Tells us much about the quiltmaker and therefore more about the quilt itself—its personality, its intrinsic qualities, its ‘heart.’ —Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine If you have admired quilts airing on wash lines, displayed at craft fairs, or proudly spread on your neighbors\u27 beds, then you should read Mary Washington Clarke\u27s Kentucky Quilts and Their Makers. —Kentucky Folklore Recordhttps://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_art_and_design/1002/thumbnail.jp

Jesse Stuart: Essays on His Work

J. R. LeMaster and Mary Washington Clarke have here assembled a distinguished collection of essays on the works of Jesse Stuart. A prolific writer, Stuart is at home in many different genres; his poetry, his short stories, his novels, and his autobiographical writings are widely known, and his books for children have enjoyed great popularity. Despite the variety of his work and despite the diversity of the ten essayists\u27 points of view, there emerges from this volume a consistent view of a man whose close contact with the land and the people of his region has produced a distinctive body of writing. H. Edward Richardson offers us a glimpse of Jesse Stuart at home, freely and earnestly discussing his work and relating it to the scenes about him. This essay forms a background for the other contributors\u27 discussions of Stuart\u27s humor, his use of folklore, and his persistent agrarian point of view. This, the first collection of all new critical essays on Stuart\u27s writings, succeeds admirably in what criticism is supposed to do-making more accessible the important work of a significant writer. J. R. LeMaster is director of the American Studies Program at Baylor University, Waco, Texas. Mary Washington Clarke is emeritus professor of English and folklore, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green.https://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_english_language_and_literature_north_america/1025/thumbnail.jp

Mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

The genetic make-up of an individual contributes to the susceptibility and response to viral infection. Although environmental, clinical and social factors have a role in the chance of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and the severity of COVID-191,2, host genetics may also be important. Identifying host-specific genetic factors may reveal biological mechanisms of therapeutic relevance and clarify causal relationships of modifiable environmental risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection and outcomes. We formed a global network of researchers to investigate the role of human genetics in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity. Here we describe the results of three genome-wide association meta-analyses that consist of up to 49,562 patients with COVID-19 from 46 studies across 19 countries. We report 13 genome-wide significant loci that are associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection or severe manifestations of COVID-19. Several of these loci correspond to previously documented associations to lung or autoimmune and inflammatory diseases3–7. They also represent potentially actionable mechanisms in response to infection. Mendelian randomization analyses support a causal role for smoking and body-mass index for severe COVID-19 although not for type II diabetes. The identification of novel host genetic factors associated with COVID-19 was made possible by the community of human genetics researchers coming together to prioritize the sharing of data, results, resources and analytical frameworks. This working model of international collaboration underscores what is possible for future genetic discoveries in emerging pandemics, or indeed for any complex human disease