THE ESSAY

THE ESSAY joins an elite list of classic novels and films that depict a specific downtrodden population, its unique subculture, and the transformative power of transcending limitations.

Set in a deeply impoverished "white trash" 1970s coal mining town in the gritty Appalachian foothills of southeastern Ohio, THE ESSAY is the story of a boy whose two constants in life are sports and the misery of his situation; so how could he possibly win an essay contest? But when young English teacher who believes in him risks her job to stand up for him, and the local mill burns down in the same week as his father is fired, he must – and does -- make decisions well beyond his years. Terrific characterizations, surprising revelations, gut-wrenching past betrayals, and an unforgettable cast of characters born of the dusty, worn-out landscape of southeastern Ohio make THE ESSAY a powerful, evocative, and incredibly moving novel. Jimmy Lee Hickam grew up along Red Dog Road, a dead-end strip of gravel and mud buried deep in the bowels of Appalachian Ohio. It is the poorest road, in the poorest county, in the poorest region of the state. To make things worse, the name Hickam is synonymous with trouble. Jimmy Lee hails from a heathen mix of thieves, moonshiners, drunkards, and general anti-socials who for decades have clung to both the hardscrabble hills and the iron bars of every jail cell in the region. This life, Jimmy Lee believes, is his destiny, someday working with his drunkard father at the sawmill, or sitting next to his arsonist brother in the penitentiary. There aren’t many options if your last name is Hickam. An inspiring coach and Jimmy Lee's ability to play football are the only things motivating him to return for his third year of high school—until his visionary English teacher cuts him a break and preserves his eligibility for the coming football season. To thank her, Jimmy Lee writes a winning essay in the high school writing contest. When irate parents and the baffled administration claim he has cheated, his teacher is inspired to take his writing talent as far as it can go, showing him the path out of the hills of Appalachia. Robin Yocum is the president of Yocum Communications, a public relations and marketing firm in Westerville, Ohio. Well known for his work as a crime and investigative reporter with the Columbus Dispatch from 1980 to 1991, he was the recipient of thirty local, state, and national journalism awards in categories ranging from investigative reporting to feature writing.