Appalachian Firesides

One aspect of life in Appalachia which is often overlooked is that of Indigenous history and Indigenous influences on the land and the people who now live here. That's why I wanted to highlight Oak Mounds in Clarksburg, West Virginia. When we take the time to learn about what was left behind by the people who were here long before anyone else, we have some context to understand their struggles...

Don't worry folks, I'm still kicking. After an unexpected hiatus (you'll hear all about it in the intro), we are back with our regularly scheduled programing! For today's episode, I was thrilled to be joined by Courtney Rhoades from the Appalachian Citizens Law Center based out of Whitesburg, Kentucky. The ACLC is a non-profit law firm that assists folks in the mountains with legal...

It's just me today. This episode is pretty unordinary, but as Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "This is no ordniary time". With all that has gone on in Tennessee these past couple of weeks, I wanted to discuss those matters on the podcast. I ramble a little, and might repeat myself from time to time, but I wanted to say my peace on it. I hope you all enjoy.

Y'all are in for such a treat. As you all can probably tell by now, I make a *big* deal about the importance of labor history to the wider story of Appalachia. I do this not only because I'm interested in this intersection of history, but because you really can't give a full and authentic image of Appalachia without talking about the labor movement here, and the folks who made it possi...

This week, we're continuing our trend of exploring those states that, although they aren't typically associated with Appalachia, are nonetheless a part of the region. Located in Boonsboro in Maryland, Greenbrier State Park offers a lot of fun outdoor activities, and does so in a majestic and diverse environment which captures the beauty of the Appalachian region. I hope you all enjoy learn...

This week, I am so honored to be joined by celebrated Kentucky author, Bobi Conn. Bobi has written two books—her memoir, In the Shadow of the Valley and a recently published novel, A Woman in Time — and is working on publishing a third book. Bobi and I had a great discussion about her memoir, her process of writing it, the experiences she drew from, and how she envisions her work as providing a mo...

This week, we're traveling to the quintessential Appalachian state: New York! I know, we don't often make that connection, but New York is still a part of the geographic, political, and cultural Appalachian community, and we appreciate all of our neighbors there, including Alan Tremblay, the owner and operator of the subject of today's episode: Tremblay Apiaries. Alan is an experienced...

If you had told me a year and a half ago that this episode would air, I would not have believed you. This week I am honored to be joined by THE Big John Isner, exemplary Appalachian, former co-host of the Appodlachia Podcast, and currently working as a no-nonsense Public Defender in West Virginia. For those who may not know, Public Defenders are attorneys who are tasked with representing defendant...

Surprise! I've been thinking on how I can improve the show for you all, and I had an idea. With a pretty hefty backlog of interviews left to publish, it would be at least a couple of months before I got them published, and that just will not do. And so, from now on, our full-length episodes will be published on Monday, and the Sights to See Episodes will come out each Friday! More content for you...

For our final conversation with some of the contributors of Y'all Means All , I was glad to speak with Julie Rae Powers. Julie Rae is a photographer with deep roots in Appalachia who is doing some amazing work to magnify the voices of  folks who have often been left out of the conversation about what Appalachia is, and how we can make it better.  We discuss their contribution to Y'all Me...

Tune in this week to hear all about the White Whale Bookstore, located in the Paris of Appalachia: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I also give a preview about how the Sights to See series will be expanded upon in later episodes. I hope you all enjoy! White Whale Bookstore: https://whitewhalebookstore.com/

I know I know, y'all are probably thinking, "Teej, what the heck, you said you would have a regular schedule from now on, what gives?". Well my friends, I also said I would cut back on coffee and go to the gym every day this year. In any case, thank you all so much for your graciousness, and I do apologize that I was not able to release an episode of Sights to See last week. From this point on, I...

I'm honored to be joined on the podcast this week by Aaron Leonard, journalist and author of several books, including The Folk Singers and the Bureau: The FBI, the Folk Artists, and Suppression of the Communist Party USA . In this book, Aaron details the careers of several prominent folks singers in the U.S., spanning from the 1930s into the 1950s. Aaron and I chat about how the artists he writes...

Welcome to the first episode of our "Sights to See and Places to Be in Appalachia" series for Season 4. On these episodes, I highlight a location in the Appalachian region that's worthy of a visit if you're from the area, if you've never been, if you want to plan a trip here or if you're ever just passing through. This week, we're beginning our journey in Alabama by taking a look at Cathedral Cave...

After an unexpected and avoidable gap in publishing, we're back on track! I apologize for not putting out an episode of Sights to See last Monday, we'll be back with that series next week. For this week however, I am *so* excited to be bringing you all a conversation with Dr. Beck Banks, one of the contributors to the recently-published anthology, Y'all Means All: the Emerging Voices of Queering A...

We're back for Season 4! As we start this new season, I'm so excited to keep bringing you all more conversations with folks from all over Appalachia and maybe even beyond. I still want this to be a place where people are empowered to tell their own stories, and we will still be exploring all of the wondrous and beautiful places found in the Appalachian region. To lead off season four, I'm honored...

Here's a little taste of the antics to come!

Here it is, the season three finale on this very spooky Halloween night! I'm joined this week by a returning friend of the podcast, my very good friend Drew. This week, in the spirit of our Halloween season finale, Drew and I shift our conversation from the political to the paranormal. If you've ever heard of the representations or descriptions of aliens from outer space as "little green men", you...

This week, I was honored to interview Kevin Dunn, acclaimed author, scholar, documentary film-maker, activist, DIY cultural producer and Appalachian advocate. Kevin and I discussed his upcoming book, Vicious Is My Middle Name , which follows Sydney Vicious Talcott as she moves from Rochester NY to Beaver Dam NC. Though at first she has some difficulty transitioning to and understanding her new hom...

I'm so excited to be bringing you all a conversation with another great political candidate running in Appalachia. This week, I'm honored to be joined by Matthew Hoh, who is the Green Party nominee for U.S. Senate in North Carolina. As you'll hear in the interview, Matt and his campaign have faced numerous challenges to even get Matt on the ballot in North Carolina, and whether or not you agree wi...

We're just a little under a month away from Election Day here in the U.S. and for the month of October I'm really excited to be bringing y'all some great conversations with a couple of great political candidates running in Appalachia. This week, I'm joined by Conor Halbleib, who is the Democratic nominee running for Congress in Kentucky's 5th Congressional District, which encompasses almost all of...

While our journey throughout the Appalachian region may not be in person like "Jungle Cruise", it is no less exciting for me and hopefully you all feel the same! This week, we're traveling to the great state of Georgia, and shining a light on the Booth Western Art Museum. From all that I have seen and read, this place looks like a wonderful location to take in the beautiful artwork and artifacts w...

I’m joined this week by Dr. Roger Ward, chair of the Philosophy Department at Georgetown College, and a professor whom I’ve had quite a few classes with. Dr. Ward and I discuss probably one of the most important thinkers in American history, John Dewey. We talk about him for a few reasons, but probably the most notable is that Dewey’s ideas about democracy are so important to our own time. Dewey b...

I guess if there's a common theme for these past few episodes of Sights to See and Places to Be, it would be this: state parks rock. As we travel to Greenville County, South Carolina, tune in to hear about the majestic scenery around Caesar's Head Park, opportunities for fishing, camping, and sight-seeing. From all that I have seen and read, this is a wonderful place to visit with something to off...

HAPPY LABOR DAY! We know that a three-day weekend is great, but what's most important is that we take this time to recognize that it's because of the hard work and sacrifice of workers all throughout our history that brought us not just this weekend but every weekend, not to mention minimum wage, unemployment insurance, the abolition of child labor, workers' comp law, paid family and sick leave, t...