Living The Book: Paradise, Kentucky
Creating fictional worlds is a joyful process with side effects. One is finding connections to your story and characters where you least expect it. The temptation to look further is irresistible. Sometimes you encounter facts which remind you of your own narrative. Or you discover stories that broaden your perspective.
Both happened to me recently, reading an article about new film releases. One of them was a new documentary called You Got Gold, honoring singer/songwriter John Prine. I’m not familiar with his work and, ordinarily, would have skimmed that section. But there was a reference to his song “Paradise”, inspired by his father’s home town in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.
Muhlenberg County is in western Kentucky, near the area where I grew up. It isn’t far from my fictional town of Hartsend. There’s only one thing-I’d never heard of Paradise.
It turns out there is a very sad reason. Today, Paradise is officially considered a ghost town.
A Short History of Paradise
Settled in the late nineteenth century, Paradise saw mining activity as early as 1820. However, mining didn’t begin on a large scale until the Tennesee Valley Authority began construction of a coal-powered steam plant in 1959. Much of this occurred before a state strip-mining law went into effect, leaving the area and its residents vulnerable to toxic substances.
Paradise was located in Kentucky’s Western Coal Fields. I’ve written previously about coal from this region in Knowing Your Place (https://www.danalemaster.com/post/knowing-your-place). The coal mined would have an elevated sulfur content, making it hazardous to residents. Fans of The Crown may remember an episode called “Act of God” (Season 1, Episode 4), which depicts the Great Smog of 1952 in London. The type of coal being used there was similar to the coal being mined in Paradise.
Residue from the plant caused sufficient destruction that the Tennessee Valley Authority began offering buy-outs to the residents of Paradise. The last of them left Paradise in 1967.
John Prine’s Connection
John Prine’s grandfather worked as a coal miner in Paradise. Both his parents were born in Paradise, though their families relocated to the Chicago area. Growing up, John went back with his parents to visit family in Paradise over his summer vacations. The song “Paradise” was inspired by those visits. It’s a tribute tinged by longing, for a home destroyed by corporate greed.
In October 2022, officials in Muhlenberg County dedicated a regional park near the Green River to John Prine. His wife, Fiona Whelan-Prine, brought a portion of his ashes to the dedication. She, as well as other family members, attended the ceremony and honored his wish to have his ashes spread along the Green River.
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