Inside Appalachia

This week, the music of West Virginia songwriter Ella Hanshaw. Her music is getting rediscovered thanks to her grandchildren.  Also, a pair of potters in western North Carolina forego commercial clay to work with clay that’s wild .   And we make a trip to West Virginia’s Hillbilly Hotdogs for its infamous Homewrecker Hotdog Challenge.

This week, an international photographer turns his lens toward home.  Also, after Hurricane Helene, whitewater rafting guides are adapting to diminished business and changed rivers. And, we remember Travis Stimeling. The author, musician and educator left a mark on mountain culture, and the people who practice and document it.  

This week, dinos fight Civil War soldiers at a theme park throwback — Dinosaur Kingdom II in Natural Bridge, Virginia.  Also, one person’s roadside weed is another’s “golden” treasure. So says a North Carolina fiber artist.   And the backstory of a bus that sits at the confluence of the New and Gauley rivers — and the man who put it there.

People with mental health challenges or substance use disorder often end up in jail. But crisis response teams offer another path. Also, one year after the Mountain Valley Pipeline went into service, people who live directly in the pipeline’s path have received compensation. But not everyone. And, the Sacred Harp songbook gets an update for the first time since the early ‘90s. You'll hear these st...

For 15 years, a Virginia library has been hosting a weekly Dungeons & Dragons game night for teens. It can get a little wacky. We also remember renowned Tennessee luthier, Jean Horner. Whose fiddles were played at Carnegie Hall and the Grand Ole Opry. His shop was a destination for fiddle fanatics. And a Hare Krishna community in West Virginia serves vegetarian food made in three sacred kitche...

This week, a hospital in Western North Carolina was bought out. Residents say the quality of care has gone down.   Also, an immersion school in North Carolina is trying to revitalize the Cherokee language with the help of a printmaking class. And a pair of artists follow cicada hatchings to make art from their shells.    You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia .

This week, a West Virginia man is reviving an historic Black coal camp through farming. Also, the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan includes a summer camp for teens to study their heritage. And, the Reverend George Mills Dickerson of Tazewell, Virginia, was born in the years after slavery ended. He’s remembered on Juneteenth through his poetry. You'll hear these stories and more this week,...

Textbooks have long left out an important piece of labor history that happened here in the mountains --the Mine Wars. Now, there's a book out that's written for teenagers. Also, when flooding devastates a community, people can find solace through faith and through song. And we remember songwriter Billy Edd Wheeler, who passed away last year. Dozens of musicians have covered his songs, including Jo...

Cicadas are emerging again. They’re an important food source for wildlife—and even some people. We talk with an expert and a fan of these bugs. Also, morel mushrooms are a forager’s delight, but don’t shortcut cleaning them. We follow along with mushroom hunters and talk to a chef.  And, sinkholes can cause a lot of damage. But they’re also fascinating. 

The Appalachian Prison Book Project has been sending books to incarcerated people for nearly 20 years. Its most popular book is the dictionary.  Also, the Seeing Hand Association brings together people who are visually impaired to learn the craft of chair caning.   And, crossing a river by ferry can be a special experience, and hard to come by. On the Ohio River, a retiring ferry captain passes th...

The setting for a new novel is a communal society founded by freed people in North Carolina. It was a real place called The Kingdom of the Happy Land. Also, a Tennessee writer, musician and playwright talks about his collaborations and ability to capture a sense of place. And, the online world of Appalachian memes — and what they tell us about folks who live here. You’ll hear these stories and mor...

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...

This week, officials are scrutinizing a supermax prison in Wise County, Virginia, after inmate complaints and a visit by a state lawmaker. Also, a laid-off federal worker warns the Trump administration's mass firings could make a big difference for coal miners. And, every year, the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival stages a formal dance. Organizers rely on a manual that’s been passed down for gene...

Some politicians and coal operators call themselves friends of coal, but one journalist says they don’t seem to be friends of coal miners. Also, what not to do if you get poison ivy. And, pepperoni rolls were a staple in the coal mines. But public schools might be why they caught on.  You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia .

This week, we head to the woods for a master class in foraging for wild mushrooms. And the woman behind the popular TikTok account “Appalachian Forager” makes jam from pawpaws and jewelry from coyote teeth. We also visit the Alleghany Highlands, where mountain maple syrup traditions are changing with the times. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia .

A new book looks into the toxic legacy of a huge industrial disaster in Tennessee. Also, rock climbing gear wears out. But it can still live on as art. And, an eastern Kentucky pharmacist serves vegan food for the holidays. You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia .

Rock climbers with disabilities have found a home in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, which offers some pumpy crags. Also, climbers have also been working to make West Virginia's New River Gorge more inclusive. And, a master craftsman, who makes one of a kind whitewater paddles, remembers some advice. You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia .

Aaron Dowdy of alt country band Fust took an outside path to becoming a songwriter. Also, egg prices are up. Some folks are talking about raising backyard chickens. And, Helvetia, West Virginia’s old world Fasnacht festival continues to grow, in part because of an online video game. Organizers are OK with it. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia .

During a pandemic, where do you give birth?  Also, we’ll have the story of a family that cultivated an heirloom tomato in West Virginia. It took a lot of work.  And, a musical tradition brought people together — even when they couldn’t gather in person. You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia .

It’s been five years since the COVID-19 lockdowns. An album made during that time is getting a re-release on vinyl. Also, a Kentucky tattoo artist practices traditional tattooing and traditional music. He says they’re not too different. And, what keeps people so fascinated with cryptids? You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia .

This week, a beloved West Virginia hotdog restaurant closed in 2018. An annual tribute sale gives people a chance to relive its glory days.   Also, a West Virginia town can trace its beginnings to the first place its founders lived — a giant stump. And a few people still farm the way folks did before tractors — with horses.   You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia . 

In the 1930s, hundreds of mostly African American workers died digging the Hawk’s Nest Tunnel. A photographer brings their stories to life.  When Jerry Machen began making art from old carpets, his wife Linda wasn’t impressed.  And a new exhibit shares the cultures of Indigenous people who call Appalachia home.  You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia .

This week, we talk with East Tennessee’s Amythyst Kiah. Her new 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.  You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia .

This week, a Hare Krishna community in West Virginia serves vegetarian food made in three sacred kitchens.   Also, an Asheville musician’s latest guitar album is a call to arms.  And we talk soul food with Xavier Oglesby, who is passing on generations of kitchen wisdom to his niece.

This week, we visit a summer camp that’s part of the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan. Also, during the Great Depression, Osage, West Virginia was a raucous river town. It’s sleepier now, but music is keeping the magic alive. And, the author of an upcoming graphic novel about pipeline fighters has a message for people outside the region.  You'll hear this story and more this week, Inside...