Inside Appalachia

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...

This week, we visit the Seeing Hand Association. They bring together people who are visually impaired to learn the craft of chair caning. Corporate greed has been gobbling up newspapers for years. Now, some of those same companies are taking a bite out of mobile home parks. They’re raising rents and letting repairs slide. And, as the Mountain Valley Pipeline nears completion, people who live near...

This week, Inside Appalachia speaks with the author of a new graphic novel about the West Virginia Mine Wars. The labor struggle culminated in the largest armed uprising since the Civil War. Also, professional storyteller James Froemel invents quirky characters, like a sign maker who can't spell. Froemel’s stories are drawn from small town life. And, one of the most common animals to get hit by ca...

This week, a West Virginia baker draws on her Finnish heritage to make a different kind of cinnamon roll. Also, for nearly a century, some of Appalachia’s best wood carvers have trained at a North Carolina folk school. Newcomers are still welcomed in to come learn the craft. And, a conversation with Kentucky poet Willie Carver Jr.  You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia .

This week, a talented, young folk singer looks for the balance between making music and making a living. After six generations, keeping the family farm going can be rough. We hear the story of the Wakefield family, which has farmed for six generations. And the Hellbender Salamander is the largest amphibian in North America. They’re picky about where they live, but their habitats are threatened.

This week, we turned our entire episode over to the question, “What is Appalachia?” With stories from Mississippi to Pittsburgh, we asked people across our region whether they consider themselves to be Appalachian. 

This week, a look back at some of the stories that shaped the show in 2024, like the story of an abandoned Fairmont Brine site in Marion County, West Virginia. It was a common hangout spot, but there’s a hidden danger.  Also, food deserts are places where it’s hard to find nutritious food. Like disenfranchised neighborhoods in East Knoxville, Tennessee.  And, not all bamboo is invasive. In fact, t...

This week, 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.  You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia .

This week, the online world of Appalachian memes — and what they tell us about folks who live here.  Also, parts of West Virginia have been radio silent since the 1950s for scientists to monitor the skies. So, what does that mean for first responders in an emergency?  And winter holidays are here. We’ve got some tips to keep the festivities from going up in smoke. You'll hear these stories and mor...

Crossing a river by ferry can be a special experience, and hard to come by. On the Ohio River, a retiring ferry captain passes the torch to his deck hand. And Hurricane Helene destroyed roads and knocked out power and cell service across western North Carolina. But there was still a way to keep people in touch. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia .

Since 1967, Foxfire has been a storehouse of traditional Appalachian knowledge that still helps people today. It continues to preserve music and history, but part of Foxfire’s heritage has been recording the stories of Appalachian women.  This week, Inside Appalachia explores Foxfire – its past, present and future.