"Hope Springs Eternal" is semi-autobiographical and touches on actual events and incidents experienced by the Author. They range from the earthy life of an Appalachian Sharecropper, to the "grotesque and Arabesque" actions and delusions of a genius gone mad! John Fee Gibson was born and raised in the Appalachian foothills of Southeastern Kentucky. He moved to Ohio as a young man where he graduated from The Ohio State University. He was employed in the metals removal industry for several years as a tool and die maker, designer, and computer aided drafting and machining engineer. He received his teaching credentials later in life and held teaching positions with the Southern Ohio College, the Community College System of Kentucky, and the Public Schools of Ohio. Mr. Gibson presently resides in Fairfield, Ohio and is retired.

Keywords: Appalachia, sharecropper, pastoral, transition, revival, addiction