Middle of Everywhere

Hospice care is a somewhat misunderstood medical practice in this country.  People often think it’s all about dying, or the opposite- keeping a dying patient alive.  Neither of these perceptions are accurate.  In this episode, we are focusing on what hospice care entails by sitting down with the people who provide it – hospice nurses. Rural areas have a higher need for hospice care as there are si...

The end of the season is almost here and we have one quick request. Find us at our website at middleofeverywherepod.org. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories .   

Women and girls in rural communities across the United States are being forever changed by substance misuse. Sadly, it’s a story with which many are becoming increasingly familiar. Why are women in rural places being incarcerated for substances at such high rates? What can communities do to intervene and help? What resources are available? We explore these troublesome questions and find some equal...

This week we're sharing a previously released episode from our first season. We hear from a woman that embarked on a journey to save and rehabilitate a historic Black hotel from demolition. This journey was life-changing for her as it coincided with the rehabilitation of her own body after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Betty Dobson shares with us what it took to save the Hotel Metropoli...

OB deserts are a plague that seems to be infecting more and more of the United States, in rural areas in particular.  If you’ve never heard of an OB desert, you’re not alone.  OB deserts are counties that lack any hospital or birth center with obstetric care or any obstetric providers.   The US leads among developed countries in maternal and infant mortality and morbidity and these deserts are a l...

Legislation is taking effect across the country that restricts transgender kids and their parents regarding gender-affirming healthcare  How will these bills affect trans kids' long-term health?  While we can’t predict the outcomes for these kids, we can look to the people who lived most of their lives without gender-affirming care to understand the repercussions.  While access to trans-focused he...

What do you know about the history of abortion in rural America? What about the women who relied on it?  Imagine reaching into the past and conjuring the spirit of a woman who lived this history. In this episode, we’ll hear writer, Tamara Dean, discuss her essay “Safer Than Childbirth”, in which she wrote about discovering the history of, and the many lives that relied on abortion. In the process...

We’re about to release the rest of our third season! We’re hearing from women near and far about how living in rural America affects their health. In this trailer, you’ll hear just a few of the voices of people who are invested in living and thriving in our rural areas. Look for our next episode to come out on March 22.   Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @r...

Host Ariel Lavery’s mail carrier is a cheerful, everyday woman who has walked roads less traveled when it comes to her reproductive journey.  From her son’s disabilities, to becoming a surrogate, to choosing to sterilize herself, her experience with the U.S. healthcare system has been diverse and frustrating.  Yet, her outlook on solutions to issues she has faced may surprise you.   In this episod...

Here’s a sneak peek of the first episode of Season 3, dropping Wednesday Feb 1st! Focusing on women’s healthcare in rural communities this season, we open with the story of an everyday woman who’s had a noteworthy reproductive journey.    Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories .  Learn more about us at middleofeverywherepod.org. Subscribe wherever...

We are here to give you a quick update on some news about the snail darter and our team. Also, we’re looking for voices! Listen in to find out why. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories .  Learn more about us at middleofeverywherepod.org. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Do you love getting lost in shows like Yellowstone or 1883 and dream about that ruff and tumble lifestyle out on the range? Well, you probably know, there’s more to the cowboy lifestyle than meets the eye! Today on the podcast, I’m sharing a fascinating story about real cowboys and the truth about ranching with the help of my friend and acclaimed journalist Melodie Edwards, who hosts the Peabody-n...

In our final  episode of The Story of Tanasi, and our last episode of the season, we’re back at the lake to find out what this story means for people today.  People who went through the battle to save the LittleT still gather, hailing from all around the country.  And what about that “stupid little fish,” the snail darter (Percina Imostoma Tanasi) around which the whole story revolved?  Today, the...

None of the new laws coming out of congress in the 60s and 70s could stop the Tellico Dam Project.  But, a different legal approach that sought to protect the religious freedom and sacred sites of the Cherokee could provide a new lifeline.  In this episode, we hear from Eastern Band of Cherokee leaders about uniting with the Tellico farmers and environmental lawyers to honor the river and make one...

What happens when a radical new environmental law, a tiny endangered fish, and a tenacious young lawyer walk into the highest court in the land? Not what you might expect.  We’ll follow our hero in earth shoes as he journeys through the courts all the way to Washington. He fights alongside the band of farmers who have vowed to fight until there’s nothing left to fight for.  In the process we’ll un...

In Part 2 of our series we meet some of the people who once called the Little Tennessee River Valley home, and we hear surprising stories about how they were slighted by the Tennessee Valley Authority and bullied out of their homes.  We retrace how the agency came to have unparalleled power over the Tennessee Valley and how some farmers developed so much loathing for and fear of this agency.  Afte...

What is the story behind silos that stick up out of the middle of a lake in the foothills of the Smokies?  As we tour around this lake, we see more sites, like an old bridge descending into the water, a few markers of a deep history of Cherokee habitation, then large, extravagant houses that overlook the water’s edge. It all helps paint a picture of the complex history that lives under the water’s...

While researching for our season all about rivers, we uncovered a story that, when first reported, seemed straightforward.  But the more we dug in the more we understood that this story required more than one episode. Listen as we give a glimpse of the next several episodes. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories .  Learn more about us at middleofe...

What things does a paddlewheel steamboat bring to your mind? Is a “roustabout” one of them? They may not be so familiar but there is a treasury of music surrounding the Black men and women who worked on steamboats in the last two centuries. These roustabouts and chambermaids had tough jobs, and music was one of the things that helped them get through it. We’ll hear and talk about the music of the...

We all know we live in a world full of plastic.  But how much plastic gets into our waterways and what happens to it once it’s there? Would you swim an entire river to find out?  We talk to two scientists who put together an epic swim of the Tennessee River to do just that.  We hear all about what it took to pull it off, from using a drone to feed a swimmer to dealing with river monsters, and what...

Having “standing” under the law is a very important legal concept. For many years, only people had standing and could bring a complaint before the court. But, could something like the Colorado River have standing? We start Season 2 by exploring approaches and stories related to the “rights of nature,” especially rivers. We discuss the essay, “Should Trees Have Standing?” and the 150-year legal bat...

Welcome to Season 2 of Middle of Everywhere!  This season we explore America’s rivers and the stories that lie beneath their surface. We learn how we’ve shaped our rivers and how they have shaped us. We hear stories of discovery, strength, and heartbreak all surrounding these waterways.   Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @middleofeverywherepod and on Twitter @rural_stories .  Learn more about u...

We’re back in the studio for this quick end of summer update. We’ve missed our listeners and want to let you know what we’ve been working on and where we’re heading for season 2…among other things.

How do you feel about confederate monuments and what they represent?   Does your race influence the emotions you have toward these things?  Can you separate your feelings from historical facts? In this last episode of our season, we’re going to talk with the only Black person ever to have managed the Jefferson Davis Historic Site in Fairview Kentucky.  Ron Sydnor managed the park until 2017 and ha...

Do you ever wonder where your food comes from? What’s the story behind that tomato in the produce department? How did it get to the store? Who grew it? Is it genetically modified?   In this episode, we hear from Bill and Michael Best, father and son heirloom seed savers. Active in the small farming revolution, Bill also helped start the Lexington and Berea’s Farmers’ Markets.  Now in his 80s, he s...