Kentucky Writer’s Hall of Fame Induction To be Held March 10th in Lexington
Mr. Eblen spent many years as a journalist at the Atlanta-Constitution, then returned back to Kentucky to serve as the managing editor at the Herald-Leader. After a change of duties and the many changes affecting the newspaper industry, he decided to leave his career in 2020 and do something else. It didn’t take long for something else to appear.
“Not even a week after I left the paper, Neil Chethik who was then the Executive Director at the Carnegie Center called and asked if I would consider taking over the Kentucky Writer’s Hall of Fame and it was an interesting project and the opportunity to honor Kentucky’s great literary tradition.”
The Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame was created to recognize Kentucky writers whose work reflects the character and culture of our commonwealth, and to educate Kentuckians about our state’s rich literary heritage. Initially, writers who were deceased were added as there were many who had made major contributions, but were no longer living. Wendell Berry, Class of 2015, was the first living inductee and each year since more living writers have been added while honoring those who have passed away. James Baker Hall, the foundation’s namesake, was inducted into the Kentucky Writer’s Hall of Fame in 2014, while his wife, Mary Ann Taylor-Hall was a recent inductee entering in 2024.
“There are many people who are unaware of the impact of Kentucky authors on literature. Settlers from the East began settling in the 1770’s in Kentucky as they were looking for land. Harrodsburg was founded in 1774 and Lexington in 1779. William Wells Brown, born in Montgomery County, Kentucky, was honored in our first class and he had escaped slavery and became an internationally known novelist. There are many people like that who have made an impact on Kentucky literary arts.”
The 2025 Kentucky Writer’s Hall of Fame Induction will be on March 10 at 7:00 p.m. at the Kentucky Theater in Lexington and it is free and open to the public. This year’s class features:
Naomi Wallace - Louisville born acclaimed playwright
David Dick - Former CBS correspondent, Bourbon County farmer, writer and poet
Ronald D. Eller - Author, historian and Appalachian studies pioneer
Frank X Walker - Author, teacher and Kentucky Poet Laureate 2013-2014
Crystal Wilkinson - Author, teacher, Kentucky Poet Laureate 2021-2022
To read more about the this year’s honorees as well as the rich history of years past, visit https://carnegiecenter/kentucky-writers-hall-of-fame to learn about these impactful writers.