Inside Appalachia

This week on Inside Appalachia, we talk with James Beard-nominated West Virginia chefs Mike Costello and Amy Dawson, who serve up special dishes with stories behind them.    And, we’ll visit an old-fashioned toy shop whose future was uncertain after its owners died, but has a new chance at life because of a twist of fate. We’ll also be sharing a few memories of Christmas past, which may or may not...

This week, one of the NFL’s oldest franchises began right here in Appalachia — in Portsmouth, Ohio. And for some workers in the natural gas industry, unregulated, radioactive waste is part of the job. We also revisit one of our most popular stories from 2022. It’s all about Appalachia’s contribution to America’s great pizza wars. You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia .

This week, we'll meet a man who has struggled with substance use disorder. Now, he’s a recovery coach. We'll also meet a woman who started a farm and culinary training program to help people in recovery, and we'll learn about barn quilts in North Carolina. And childhood friends who first started singing together 70 years ago show us why it’s never too late to begin again. You’ll hear these stories...

This week, we look back at some of the stories we told in 2022. We took you to the floods in eastern Kentucky, where you met people who witnessed terrible destruction. We also invited you along as we talked to Appalachians who know a little something about resilience, like Dolly Parton. Because you invited us into your homes, we invited you into ours with a special trip to Mason’s hometown — Floyd...

This week, we talk with folklorist Emily Hilliard about her new book exploring contemporary folklife and Appalachian culture — like the lore behind the West Virginia slaw dog. We’ll also hear about the Asian-Appalachian experience from a student filmmaker who was born in China and grew up in western Maryland, and we’ll travel back to 2016 and listen to an interview with JD Vance.  Back then he was...

This week on Inside Appalachia, we talk with contributors to a new collection of writing by LGBTQ Appalachians — about how they see themselves reflected here in the region. We also hear about the history of baseball in the coal camps of southwestern Virginia and we return to flood damaged eastern Kentucky and meet gospel musician Dean McBee. You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside App...

This week on 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 fo...

This week on Inside Appalachia , we talk to podcaster Abe Partridge about a uniquely Appalachian art – the religious music heard in snake handling churches. We also travel to southern West Virginia and talk real estate. The Itmann Coal Company Store building is up for sale, and the owner’s looking for a buyer who appreciates its history. And, it’s hunting season. We visit with women who tan deer h...

This week on Inside Appalachia , we travel to Cabbagetown, an Atlanta neighborhood that was home to Appalachian workers who migrated there for textile jobs. We also tag along with Cole, a dog with a big job in a southern West Virginia elementary school. And just in time for the spooky season, we hear about Mountain Cove, a community of spiritualists who came to Western Virginia in 1850. You’ll hea...

This week, we travel to Charleston, West Virginia, to learn about the importance of funeral singers to Black communities. We’ll also hear about a new tool whose maker believes he can help save thousands of lives from fatal opioid overdoses. And we talk with author Barbara Kingsolver about the influence of Appalachia in her books. You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia. The...

This week, we bring back our special Halloween episode of Inside Appalachia from 2021. It’s packed with ghost stories and mysteries from across the region. Museums Central West Virginia has a new monster museum that pays tribute to Bigfoot. The Sutton museum is small, and located in the back of a store that sells knick-knacks and handmade items by local artisans. The museum was created to document...

Something About The Water In Berkeley Springs There are natural springs all over Appalachia. The deep folds of rock that make up our mountains bring water from the depths to trickle out of our hillsides. That's where many people got their fresh water in the years before indoor plumbing. But in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, people are still filling jugs with spring water to lug back home. Why? F...

Welcome Inside Appalachia . We’re glad you’re here to join us on our weekly journey through some of the thirteen Appalachian states. This week, we’re learning about an unexpected immigrant to central Appalachia – the armadillo.  We’ll also take a ride on the Cass Scenic Railroad and follow reporter Randy Yohe as he explores some one-of-a-kind getaways in West Virginia. And, just in time for the pa...

This week, we begin our journey through Appalachia in Floyd, Virginia, at the Friday Night Jamboree.   We’ll also check in with volunteers from across the country who are coming together to help those in Eastern Kentucky dealing with flood damage.   And we’ll learn about the people who worked toward securing women the right to vote. All that and more this week Inside Appalachia .  

We’ll meet a man who makes wooden turkey calls, not ordinary turkey calls. Painter Brian Aliff doesn’t call himself an artist, but he intricately paints his turkey calls, which are now collectors’ items. We’ll also meet people who make wooden paddles by hand and custom-decorate each one, and a man who repairs cuckoo clocks. Finally, we’ll travel to some of the most beautiful spots in Appalachia to...

This week, we’re revisiting our episode “What Is Appalachia?” from December 2021. Appalachia connects mountainous parts of the South, the Midwest, the Rust belt and even the Northeast. The Appalachian Regional Commission defined the boundaries for Appalachia in 1965 with the creation of the Appalachian Regional Commission, a part of Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty. It was legislation that sough...

This week, we’re visiting the Hindman Settlement School in Kentucky, whose cultural archives were damaged by historic flooding. Then we’ll head over to Pounding Mill Virginia to learn the secrets behind Cuz’s Uptown Barbeque, an award-winning fusion restaurant. We’ll also hear from Beth Macy, author of “Dopesick,” which became the basis for a Hulu miniseries. Her latest book, “Raising Lazarus,” co...

Our first stop this week is in Charleston, W.Va. where we’re sitting down with the inimitable Dolly Parton. She recently visited W.Va. to celebrate her children’s book program, Imagination Library. We’ll also talk to the owner of a Charleston abattre who developed a butchering apprenticeship program.

One thing we know to be true about Appalachians: we love to compete. But there’s more to a competition than winning. In this week’s Inside Appalachia , we meet competitors who are also keepers of beloved regional traditions.

Inside Appalachia is 20 years old this month — we celebrate the anniversary by taking a look back with Inside Appalachia founders Giles Snyder and Beth Vorhees.

On this week’s episode, we begin our journey through Appalachia in the meadows and woods of West Virginia to catch the buzz on beekeeping.  We’ll also revisit our interview with Pocahontas County, West Virginia native Trevor Hammons. The young banjo player decided to carry on his family’s traditions of storytelling, wild lore and old time music.  Then, we’ll check in with Kentucky artist Lacy Hale...

On this week’s episode, we begin our journey through Appalachia by way of Lviv, Ukraine to learn about their version of an Appalchian dulcimer. We’ll make a roadside stop to revisit the theme park throwback Dinosaur Kingdom II in Natural Bridge, Virginia. And, we’ll swing by Lexington, Kentucky to visit the newly appointed United States Poet Laureate, Ada Limón.

This week on Inside Appalachia, amid recent hospital closures, Appalachian women are having to travel farther and farther to give birth. Maternal Medicine In The Mountains We’ll talk with reporter Clarissa Donnelly-DeRoven about maternal health care deserts in western North Carolina and hear a report from Crystal Good, about what options Black families in West Virginia have for finding birth worke...

This week, on Inside Appalachia , we visit a cemetery in Bluefield, Virginia, and learn how racial segregation followed some people to the grave. Also, we continue our series on greyhound racing. Most states have closed down their race tracks. So, what’s the future of the sport in West Virginia? And we’ll revisit a conversation with America’s last World War II Medal of Honor recipient — Hershel “W...

This week on Inside Appalachia , we listen to stories from 2021 that tackle everything from the challenges that came with virtual schooling to using poetry to change public perception.  Matriarchal Moonshiners Legend has it Mahalia Mullins once beat 30 men in a wrestling match and sold them all whiskey afterwards. Mullins was born in 1824 into a poor family and died a folk hero. The cabin where sh...