Podcast - Inside Appalachia Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

This week on Inside Appalachia, we speak with the author of a new graphic novel about the West Virginia Mine Wars. Also, professional storyteller James Froemel invents quirky characters, like a sign maker who can't spell. And, one of the most common animals to get hit by cars are possums. But, there’s a kind of animal rescue called pouch picking. We talk with author Laura Jackson. The post A Mine...

This week on Inside Appalachia, 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, we have a conversation with Kentucky poet Willie Carver Jr. The post The Sweet Story Of Finnamon B...

This week, a talented, young folk singer looks for the balance between making music and making a living. Also, after six generations, keeping the family farm going can be rough. We hear the story of the Wakefield family in Pennsylvania, which has farmed for six generations. And the Hellbender Salamander is the largest amphibian in... View Article The post Folksingers And Hellbenders, Inside Appala...

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... View Article The post Encore: What...

This week on Inside Appalachia, 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, TN. And, not all bamboo is invasive...

This week on Inside Appalachia, 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. The post Holiday Favorites From Inside Appalachia appeared...

This week on Inside Appalachia, 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. The post Appal...

This week on Inside Appalachia, 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. The post The Sistersville Ferry And Keeping Listeners C...

This week on 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, we explore Foxfire — its past, present and future. The post Encore: Celebrating Foxfire, Inside Appalachia appeared fir...

This week on Inside Appalachia, The chef of an award-winning Asheville restaurant says he was shaped by memories of growing up in West Virginia. The Seeing Hand Association brings together people who are visually impaired to learn the craft of chair caning. And a West Virginia community grapples with its population of feral cats. The post A Chef Shares W.Va. Memories And Visiting A Cat Cafe, Insid...

Morel mushrooms are a forager’s delight, but don’t shortcut cleaning them. As flood relief continues from Hurricane Helene — a musician raises money with a song inspired by West Virginia’s 2016 floods. And, not every pumpkin gets to be a jack-o-lantern. Some are used in science experiments instead. In This Episode: More About Morels Every... View Article The post Morel Mushrooms, River Music And A...

After Helene, an Asheville guitar maker grapples with how to help her neighborhood when there’s so much need.  A church in West Virginia is helping turn unwanted guns into garden tools. And, for writer Wei Tchou, it took leaving her home in East Tennessee to start seeing herself in a new way.    In This Episode... View Article The post EJ Henderson After The Flood And “Li...

Rock climbing gear eventually wears out, but it can still live on as art.  Also, the response to Hurricane Helene shows us some of the best in people. Neighbors are helping neighbors.  And surfing in West Virginia. Yeah, that’s a real a thing. In This Episode: Crafter Turns Climbing Gear Into Cozy Crafts Outdoor gear... View Article The post Ropecraft, Mutual Aid After The Storm And Rive...

Submitted for your approval, we have a selection of spooky tales for Halloween and beyond. We have scary stories read by acclaimed sci-fi and horror authors, tales of the supernatural, and we might know someone who says they’ve seen a ghost.  All this and more this week, Inside Appalachia. In This Episode: Mike Allen And... View Article The post Encore: Spooky Tales And Sci-Fi, Inside Appalac...

Textbooks have long left out an important piece of labor history that happened here in the mountains. Now, a new young adult book fills in some of what might have been missed about the Mine Wars. Also, when flooding devastates a community, people can find solace through faith and through song. And we remember songwriter... View Article The post The Mine Wars For Young Adults, Faith After A Flood A...

Frank X Walker is a Kentucky poet who in 1991 became a founding member of the Affrilachian poets.  Walker says the word “Affrilachia” “spoke to the union of Appalachian identity and the region’s African-American culture and history.”  Walker has a new book, Load in Nine Times. Inside Appalachia host Mason Adams recently spoke with him... View Article The post Affrilachian Poet Frank X Wa...

This week, Affrilachian poet Frank X Walker has a new collection of poetry that looks at Black life in Kentucky before, during, and after the Civil War. We also check in with the people affected by flooding in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. A new collection of essays and poems remembers the 2022 flood... View Article The post Frank X Walker And Flood Stories Past And Present, Inside...

Hurricane Helene dumped nearly 30 inches of rain in parts of western North Carolina and east Tennessee. Communities are reeling from the devastation. We check-in with Lilly Knoepp at Blue Ridge Public Radio in western North Carolina. Also, a new book illustrates the tiny worlds of mountain critters, like a lizard that changes color. And... View Article The post Hurricane Helene Comes To The Mounta...

Inside Appalachia remembers Travis Stimeling. The author, musician and educator left a deep mark on Appalachian culture, and the people who practice and document it.   And, grab your dancing shoes and learn about a movement to make square dance calling more inclusive. Plus, it’s not just you. There are more deer than ever these days.... View Article The post Encore: Remembering Travis St...

This week, a poet talks about his new collection, “If Lost.” He found inspiration for it by walking around in the woods. . Also, now is a great time for mushroom hunters to head to the woods and find all kinds of fascinating fungi – even those not meant to be eaten. And, almost everybody... View Article The post Black Mountain Poet, Fascinating Fungi And A Unicorn Mug, Inside Appalachia appeared f...

One of America’s greatest contributions to world culture … is hip hop. A new compilation documents what it sounds like across Appalachia.  Also people in the region love their local water springs, but in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, they take that dedication to another level. And, congressional Republicans are trying to freeze funding for new... View Article The post Hip Hop And Black Lun...

Schoolyard games come and go, but for kids in one community, marbles still rule.  Also, this year marks the anniversary of some country music milestones, including the 40th anniversary of Floyd, Virginia’s Friday Night Jamboree.  And we remember West Virginia’s first person in space, Jon McBride.  In This Episode Marble Madness Lives On In Boone... View Article The post Marble Madne...

In 2016, a wildfire escaped the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It killed 14 people, injured dozens more and destroyed parts of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. We talk with an investigative journalist who has new information on the incident. Also, four decades ago rice seeds from Laos crossed the ocean to California and made their way... View Article The post Encore: The Gatlinburg Fire Of...

During the Great Depression, the river town of Osage, West Virginia was a raucous, little place. It’s sleepier now, but music is keeping the magic alive. Also, after six generations, the struggle to keep a family farm going can be rough. And the Federal program 340B cuts the price of prescription drugs for people who... View Article The post Music In Osage And The Wakefields, Inside Appalachia app...