Fred Chappell’s I Am One of You Forever features three artists, in addition to Jess, the narrator and protagonist, who visit the Kirkman family home: Uncle Zeno, Uncle Runkin, and Aunt Sam. The novel takes place in the Appalachian mountains in the years leading up to the Second World War, and the characters are concerned with the outside world’s growing influence on their community. Uncle Zeno and Uncle Runkin represent artists who are unconcerned with their audience; they have no focus on the reception of their production, only the art itself. Aunt Samantha, however, has been very successful in the world away from home and her art is concerned with its reception, reproduction, and audience. Aunt Samantha represents the modern artist, one who has no choice but to think about a wide reception, whereas Runkin and Zeno are more old-fashioned craftsmen, only focused on what they’re doing, rather than with leaving a legacy. Additionally, Aunt Sam’s art is completed whereas Uncles Zeno and Runkin’s creations change and process throughout their lives. Uncle Zeno can never finish a story and Uncle Runkin has been working on his one coffin for years and has not been able to complete it. Additionally, the perspective of the narrator, another artist, conflicted with ideas of home and belonging, looking back twenty years into the past contributes to the finality and infinity of Appalachian art and influence
