Inside Appalachia

This week, historian Mills Kelly’s love affair with the Appalachian trail started when he was a boy scout. He was 12.  Also, central Appalachia is known for exporting coal, but it’s losing people, too.   And, Cuz’s Uptown Barbeque in southwestern Virginia fuses Asian ideas with Appalachian comfort food, like cheesy egg rolls. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia . 

This week, in author Willie Carver Jr.'s new book, he reconsiders a negative childhood experience with a neighborhood girl who might have just been looking for a friend.      Also, a southwestern Virginia community rang the alarm after more and more of its children were diagnosed with cancer. A local journalist is trying to unravel the cause.   And, the city of Asheville has a new crusading report...

This week, coal power can be expensive. Utilities run coal-fired power plants harder in the winter and summer when demand is high.   Also, two films made in West Virginia shot to the top of Netflix’s streaming charts. The state wants to encourage even more movies to be made in West Virginia by helping keep production costs down.  And an Eastern Kentucky pharmacist serves vegan food for the holiday...

Our Common Nature is a podcast from WNYC. It features cellist Yo-Yo Ma and producer Ana Gonzalez, as they explore America and talk to folks like West Virginia coal miners.  This week, we follow Yo-Yo and his team as they venture into Appalachia. And we talk with Gonzalez about meeting people where they are.      You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia . 

This week, having a very specific talent can lead to a dream job. It’s how cartoonist John Rose got his foot in the door to draw the comic strip Snuffy Smith.  Also, there are dos and don’ts for treating poison ivy.  And, a young, old-time musician wants to save her family’s lost ballads.  You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia .

This week, a new book for young adults. Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire mixes historical fact with spooky Appalachian folklore.   Also, over 15 years, a photojournalist documented an Ohio family. Now she’s a part of their lives.  And an experimental guitarist records an album intended as a call to arms.  You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia . 

We meet the woman behind the popular TikTok account “Appalachian Forager.” She makes jam from pawpaw and jewelry from coyote teeth.  Also, we sit in on a master class in foraging for wild mushrooms.  And, when a West Virginia pastor got assigned to a new church, folks tried to warn him.  You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia . 

A new novel about two girls and an astronomy textbook draws inspiration from one of the quietest places in West Virginia. Also, author Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle talks about growing up as part of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. And, a Kentucky tattoo artist practices traditional tattooing and traditional music. He says, they’re not too different.   You'll hear these stories and more this we...

When an award-winning Asheville chef decided to launch a restaurant, she returned to a rich community tradition. Also, the popularity of weaving waxes and wanes. At the moment, it’s having a renaissance.  And, during Lent, Yugoslavian fish stew is a local favorite in Charleston, West Virginia. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia . 

This week, in the 1920s, Oscar Micheaux was an entrepreneur filmmaker in western Virginia. He became a world-renowned director and producer.  Also, Kentucky’s poet laureate lives down the road from what has been called the country’s most lethal cryptid. Attempts to spot it have led to deaths.  And, we talk soul food with Xavier Oglesby, who’s passing on generations of kitchen wisdom to his niece....

This week, during the Great Depression, Osage, West Virginia was a raucous river town. It’s sleepier now, but music is keeping the magic alive. Also, a poet remembers growing up in a secret city in Tennessee that was built during World War II. And, rock climbing is usually for warmer months, but some climbers have taken to climbing frozen waterfalls.  You'll hear these stories and more this week,...

This week, east Tennessee’s Amythyst Kiah. Her latest album contemplates the cosmos. Also, hair salons are important gathering places where Black women can find community.  And, West Virginia poet Torli Bush uses story to tackle tough subjects. 

This week, some of the stories on our show inspired college student art — including a vivid image of a bear smashing a clarinet. Also, a Hare Krishna community in West Virginia serves vegetarian food made in three sacred kitchens.  And COVID exposed the contempt society has for marginalized people. One author says, these folks are anything but passive.   You'll hear these stories and more this wee...

This week, we take a look at how the U.S. government built a secret city in East Tennessee during World War II to work on the atomic bomb. Also, almost everybody has a favorite cup or coffee mug, but how far would you go to replace it?  And, we hear from a cabinetmaker on the physicality of poetry.

This week, people continue to resist the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Some folks have complained to the company about noise from compressor stations.  Also, why is Appalachia so prone to severe flooding? We spoke with a reporter whose team dug into the data to find out. And a good blanket will keep you warm on a cold night — but a handmade temperature blanket can convey a message to a loved one.  You...

What is Appalachia? We’re giving our entire Inside Appalachia episode over to this question this week, with stories from Mississippi to Pittsburgh. Appalachia connects mountainous parts of the South, the Midwest, the Rust Belt, even the Northeast. Politically, it encompasses 423 counties across 13 states — and West Virginia’s the only state entirely inside Appalachia. T hat leaves so much room for...

This week — too often, people with mental health challenges or substance use disorder wind up in jail. But crisis response teams offer another way. Also, changes to the Endangered Species Act could benefit big business. They could also kill animals like the eastern hellbender. And, in troubled times, a West Virginia writer says to find peace in nature. We talk about her collection of essays.  You'...

This week, a look back at 2025. We met some fascinating people, like Aaron Dowdy of country rock band Fust.  Alos, central Appalachia continued to recover from Hurricane Helene. From the beginning, the recovery brought people together. And we made a trip to Hillbilly Hotdog to take on The Homewrecker.

This week, Inside Appalachia dives into the holidays. We go a-wassailing in Asheville, North Carolina. It’s kind of like Christmas caroling, with a kick. Also, family recipes bring generations together. But what happens when you’ve got grandma’s potato candy recipe, and it doesn’t have exact measurements?  And, a new book explores the magical dark side of nature. 

This week, when you’re the only doctor in a rural mountain county, you’ve got to think ahead to keep your practice going.  Also, a West Virginia baker draws on her Finnish heritage to make a different kind of cinnamon roll. And if you bought a live-cut Christmas tree this year, there’s a good chance it came from Appalachia.

This week, a poet and musician draws inspiration from a distant family connection to the Grand Ole Opry’s Little Jimmy Dickens. Also, for 15 years, a Virginia library has been hosting a weekly Dungeons & Dragons game for teens. It can get wacky. And, a taxidermist in Yadkin County, North Carolina found her calling before she could drive a car. 

This week, one thing about Appalachians: we can get competitive.  We’re proud of our local food. Love a good hunt. And enjoy competition with friends.   We learn the rules and celebrate our victories. But there’s more to competing than just winning or losing. In this show, we’ll also meet competitors who are keepers of beloved Appalachian traditions. 

Our Common Nature is a new podcast from WNYC. It features cellist Yo-Yo Ma and producer Ana Gonzalez, as they explore America and talk to folks like West Virginia coal miners. This week, we follow Yo-Yo and his team as they venture into Appalachia. And we talk with Gonzalez about meeting people where they are.  

This week, the cost of health insurance is going up in 2026. Millions of people are faced with sticker shock. Also, a mountain farmer kept an encrypted diary for years. It’s unclear whether he would have wanted that code to ever be cracked.  And, a beloved West Virginia hot dog restaurant closed in 2018. An annual tribute sale gives people a chance to relive its glory days.

This week Inside Appalachia , we’re talking about traditional ballads - how they tell stories and connect us to the past.  These old tunes can mean so much. They can tap into difficult emotions and give feelings space to be heard. Some songs may even be too uncomfortable to sing. In this special episode with guest co-host, ballad singer Saro Lynch-Thomason, we explore songs about lawbreaking folk...