The Talking Appalachian Podcast

What did you think of this episode? Redneck. Hillbilly. White Trash . These are some of the class-based words used to describe people of Appalachia. But did you know that redneck, in particular, has a very special meaning associated with red bandanas worn in solidarity by striking coal miners? Included is an excerpted interview from 1974 with coal miners Herbert Grills and John Tiller, who talk ab...

What did you think of this episode? Musician and storyteller Jack Beck, a native of Dunfermline, Scotland, joins me in this episode to talk about his homeland's cultural connection to the Appalachian region. He'll tell us about: how Scots-English came to be part of the Appalachian dialect (in our surnames, occupational names, and place names, for example); how he was discouraged from spe...

What did you think of this episode? In this continuation of the Barbara Kingsolver episodes, the eastern Kentucky native gives her last talk on her novel, Demon Copperhead on the campus of The University of Virginia's College at Wise , following our discussion in Part I. She reads from the opening scene of the novel; talks about the places that inspired her in Lee County, Virginia (my home co...

What did you think of this episode? In this first of two episodes with the author of Demon Copperhead , Barbara Kingsolver says she is "bringing Demon home" in her last talk about the novel. She discusses her love of her Appalachian language, how the novel began at the desk of Charles Dickens, and her research into foster care, football, and addiction. (Recorded in Wise County, Virginia...

What did you think of this episode? Join us as we spend a weekend at beautiful Mountain Lake Lodge in this Appalachian Places and Spaces episode. Hear about the history of the lodge, dating back to the 1700's, and why the property was once known as "Salt Pond." We'll fast forward to the 1980's to find out how directors of the classic Dirty Dancing movie discovered Mountain...

What did you think of this episode? Dog Days has begun, and I'm exploring the origins of this 16th century phrase. Did you know the season from July 3rd to August 11 coincides with Sirius, or Canis Major (in the shape of a dog) of the Orion Constellation?  Joining me in this episode is Shallon Payne of The Appalachian Homestead , whose family-for generations-has learned and passed on the &quo...

What did you think of this episode? Prayer cloths are symbols of a deep and widespread faith that has been in Appalachia since its settlement. From simple squares to quilts to shawls, prayers are embedded in the fibers, along with a promise that faith has healing power. Learn about the practice of prayer cloths, the verses that may inspire them, and what they mean for the giver and recipient. Also...

What did you think of this episode? Those of us who grew up in a "holler" know that they can be deep, dark valleys or winding roads between hills. But did you know holler also refers to yodeling, calling, yelling? And if you've never heard "holler down a rainbarrel" you might be surprised to learn what it means. We'll also explore the Americanism "lightning bug&q...

What did you think of this episode? We know modern Appalachia isn't isolated, so why do people keep using that word to describe a region that includes 13 states and 25 million people? This episode is a commentary on the origins of isolation (the word and the concept), how that perception became grounded over the years, why it couldn't be more untrue, and how words can have the power to c...

What did you think of this episode? Early authors used "eye dialect," or a deliberate misspelling of words that doesn't change how they sound (like "tu" for "to" or "uv" for "of.") This literary practice, based on the authors' observations of what they heard people say, was to make their Appalachian characters seem foolish or uneducated....

What did you think of this episode? A Cherokee language revival is underway, thanks to the efforts of the Cherokee Nation and their communities in Oklahoma and western North Carolina. The story of Cherokee language history and the work to create Cherokee language schools and immersion communities are told in the award-winning documentary, We Will Speak . I'm talking with one of the directors...

What did you think of this episode? How do ghosts speak through their artifacts? As we continue the story of the burial ground in the woods, I'm joined by Dr. Angela Washington, my co-researcher and family. We talk about the chilling death portrait that proved to be our starting point, the coverlet supposedly woven by enslaved women linking the land to the folklore, and the surprising things...

What did you think of this episode? What secrets does a 19th century burial ground hold, when the stones have no words or dates, and family folklore says they belonged to enslaved people?  In this episode, I'm joined by William Isom II of Black in Appalachia , my co-researcher on this burial ground project for the past ten years. For almost two centuries, gravestones with no inscriptions have...

What did you think of this episode? Join us in beautiful Ireland where we learn about a town with two names (Londonderry/Derry), an Irishman's take on "hillbilly," familiar words and pronunciations, and a primitive alphabet inspired by trees. Support the show *Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and review the podcast (if you like it)! *Support the show by sharing links to epis...

What did you think of this episode? The sisters remembered her "witchy" looking dolls, but they were forever haunted by that one day when the woodcarver's knife nearly took their mother's life. In this episode, I retell a chilling story told to me by my great-grandmother and her sisters...one that has given me nightmares. But it's also a story about mental illness, and fam...

What did you think of this episode? Listen to the voice of John Gregory, a Civil War infantryman writing home from a cold, February campsite in 1862, a year before he would die at Gettysburg. Then, listen to the voice of Cordia Nichols, a woman diagnosed with tuberculosis in 1959 and recovering in the Catawba Sanitorium. John's letter allows us to study his dialect before audio-recording was...

What did you think of this episode? If you've ever found yourself in the position of having to defend your accent or dialect, or if you're an educator who wants to support your students' home voices but you're not sure whether you can do that while teaching standard English, this one is for you. We'll cover three (among many) justifications for Appalachian home voices (as...

What did you think of this episode? In Part II of my conversation with one of my favorite writers, Pulitzer-winning southern writer and journalist Rick Bragg, he talks about some of the news stories that haunt him. He also gives both teachers and students his best advice for becoming a journalist or novelist...what to do and definitely what not to do. Rick Bragg is the author of memoirs like Ava&a...

What did you think of this episode? Author Rick Bragg is a true storyteller. Though his work as a Pulitzer-winning journalist at the New York Times took him all over the world, the Alabama native came back home in his memoir writing. His books such as Ava's Man (my favorite), All Over But the Shoutin' (another favorite) The Best Cook in the World (well, they're all my favorites), an...

What did you think of this episode? It's "untelling" what 2024 will bring, but in this episode we'll talk about why you should eat black- eyed peas on New Year's Eve, why you shouldn't do housework on New Year's Day, and why some people refuse to take down their trees until Old Christmas on January 6th. We'll also explore the word "untelling," our...

What did you think of this episode? In this episode, I research the history of "Fixin' to" (as in "I'm fixin' to put up the holiday decorations.) Add the very old (middle English) dialect feature "a-prefix" and you've got "I'm a-fixin' to put up the holiday decorations.) Then, I'll tell you about the link between our dialect and &quo...

What did you think of this episode? Part II begins with a story about how Napoleon Hill's influence reached all the way to the Kennedy White House. Then, Executive Director of the Napoleon Hill Foundation and bestselling author, Don Green, continues our interview with what he knows about the four uses of money from years of experience, lots of books, and discussions with some of the world&apo...

What did you think of this episode? Long before Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich , became a global bestselling author, he was a poor boy from Pound, VA in the mountains of Wise County, running through the woods with a rifle, stirring up trouble. His stepmother bought him a typewriter and the rest is history. His groundbreaking book Think and Grow Rich has sold millions of copies, and i...

What did you think of this episode? It's a 't' where no 't' ought to be....we call it "the intrusive -t" as in once't, across't, and kil't.  In this episode: I talk about the Appalachian delicacy of "killed lettuce" You'll hear some clips of storyteller Ray Hicks and his use of the intrusive -t and -n Listen to a Civil War soldier&ap...

What did you think of this episode? The Legend of Bouncing Bertha was a story I heard straight from an eyewitness several years before he passed away, but I'd heard about little Bertha my whole life as a ghost tale, told and retold at spooky season. What made this Depression-era Appalachian ghost tale so scary was that by all accounts it was true . Years later, I researched and wrote about he...