“Stories I lived to tell” showcases the faces and places that connect the rural Southern Appalachia of the past to the present — as only the witty, erudite Carden can deliver.

Carden, nearly 90 years old, was born in Sylva and has spent much of his life dedicated to the folklore that first captivated him as a child. A past winner of the “Book of the Year Award” from the Appalachian Writers Association, Carden was also awarded the Brown Hudson Award for Folklore in 2006 and the North Carolina Arts Council Award for Literature in 2012.

He returned to his signature “Liar’s Bench” storytelling events in 2022, and still occasionally performs around the area. A film about Carden’s life, “Storyteller,” premiered in Sylva in 2023. Carden’s memoir was edited by noted Emmy award-winning documentarian Neal Hutcheson, who also produced the film about Carden. Hutcheson is also known for his works about other Southern Appalachian personalities, especially late moonshiner Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton.

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