Roy Acuff

A revered elder in the country is a missing link in the city because there's no sinner in him--the imagination that connects him to Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams is vocal, not moral. But he's not the kind of sickie who thinks pleasure and sin are the same thing--his relish is as palpable as his deep sorrow. So you can hear his moral imagination if you try. And if you want to know why the two things he treasures most are conjugal love and trains, figure he's also not the kind of sickie who thinks contradiction and iniquity are the same thing. (Grade: A)