The Talking Appalachian Podcast

What did you think of this episode? Bestselling author and western North Carolinian Ron Rash joins me to talk about his latest novel, The Caretaker. We also get into some of his other works, the importance of voice and dialect (he contributed to Part II of the Talking Appalachian book), cemeteries, and family stories. Welcome new Patreon subscribers: The Southern Drifter-David C., and Allison M.!...

What did you think of this episode? Crystal Wilkinson, author of the forthcoming Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts (PenguinRandomhouse) was Kentucky's Poet Laureate from 2021 to 2023. She is the award-winning author of Perfect Black; The Birds of Opulence; Water Street; and Blackberries, Blackberries . Join us as we talk about using authentic voice as a revolutionary act, and why she says she...

What did you think of this episode? Appalachians call the process of making molasses a 'stir-off.' The word 'molasses' becomes 'lasses' or 'molassey' in the local dialect, a vernacular blend resulting from English, German, and Scotch-Irish migrants who flooded the Appalachian mountains in the 18th and 19th centuries.  Kentucky writer Jesse Stuart was among t...

What did you think of this episode? In part II and a separate interview, Silas and I discuss the pride and prejudice associated with Appalachian dialects, and he reads from his essay "In My Own Country"  from the book Talking Appalachian .  Teachers, you'll want to hear this one. (You'll never hear the word "oil" the same way again.) We also discuss class prejudice as...

What did you think of this episode? In part I of this two-part interview series from August 2023, Silas House joins me on the campus of UVa.'s College at Wise to talk about accent, making art about the complexity of Appalachia, and (ironically, since we're sitting by a pond) how mountain people seem drawn to water. Silas House is the New York Times bestselling author of seven novels — “C...

What did you think of this episode? This episode covers the "why" of Appalachian Englishes, and the historical origins of some of its most popular (and really old) features. I also break down some of the myths and truths about Appalachian Englishes, namely the long-held belief that we speak Elizabethan English, and the one place where you might hear traces. (Audio clip "How Great Th...

What did you think of this episode? This episode is bound to stir up a hornet's nest, because I'm getting into that controversy over the vowel in the middle of our region's name. But first, some history. How did Appalachia get its name? And why do some people pronounce it differently? I put that question to the Talking Appalachian Facebook community and got an earful, so tune in for...

What did you think of this episode? Welcome to the first season of the Talking Appalachian podcast, based on the book Talking Appalachian: Voice, Identity, and Community that I co-edited with Dr. Nancy Hayward. Listen as I share a little bit about how I grew to love my "voiceplace" (as George Ella Lyon calls it.) This season will blend story, interviews, research, and teaching practices...