Inside Appalachia

Cicadas are emerging again. They're an important food source for wildlife—and even some people. We talk with an expert and a fan of these bugs.Also, morel mushrooms are a forager's delight, but don't shortcut cleaning them. We follow along with mushroom hunters and talk to a chef. And, sinkholes can cause a lot of damage. But they're also fascinating. 

The Appalachian Prison Book Project has been sending books to incarcerated people for nearly 20 years. Its most popular book is the dictionary. Also, the Seeing Hand Association brings together people who are visually impaired to learn the craft of chair caning.  And, 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.You'll hear these stories and more this week, 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 more this week, Inside Appalachia.

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 heroes, runaway trains and murder ballads.All the stories in this episode were produced as part of our Folkways Reporting Project, a partnership with West Virginia Public Broadcasting's Inside Appalachia and the Folklife Program of the West Virginia Humanities Council.We've recorded more than 150 stories for this project. Visit wvpublic.org to see them all.

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 generations.

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 Appalachia.

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 it say government officials are ignoring their concerns about pollution.You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

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 cars are possums. But, there's a kind of animal rescue called pouch picking. We talk with author Laura Jackson. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

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, there's a species native to Appalachia.You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

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 more this week, 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.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.

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

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.

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.   

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.

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. 

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 Billy Edd Wheeler, who passed away last month. Dozens of musicians have covered his songs including Kenny Rogers, Johnny Cash and June Carter and Elvis Presley.

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 poesm remembers the 2022 flood in Eastern Kentucky witnessed by writers trapped at the Appalachian Writers Workshop.And bird watching only sounds relaxing. Sometimes, it can get a little wild.

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 White potters co-opted the African art of face jugs in the 1800s. A modern-day Black potter says his art can't be replicated. 

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. A writer explores the long, complicated entwinement of people and our wild kin.  

This week… we talk with a poet about his new collection, titled “If Lost.” He found inspiration for it… by walking around in the woods. .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 has a favorite cup or coffee mug, but how far would you go to replace yours? 

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 mine safety rules. Advocates are concerned. 

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 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 to a family of Hmong farmers in North Carolina.And the Appalachian trail has been exhaustively hiked, explored and written about, but it's still got a few secrets left.

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 most need them. So, why are attack ads falsely connecting it to border safety?

In the 1930s, hundreds of mostly African American workers died digging the Hawk's Nest Tunnel. A photographer brings their stories to life in a new book. Also, when Jerry Machen began making art from old carpets in Tennessee, his wife Linda wasn't impressed. And, a new exhibit shares the cultures of Indigenous people who call Appalachia home. 

A few people still farm the way folks did before tractors — with horses. We visit with farmers who still rely on a real workhorse.Also, Kentucky artist Lacy Hale's “No Hate in My Holler” screenprint may never go out of style. Appalachians are still telling her how much they identify with its message.And a Virginia poet reflects on the importance of spoons and what's helped his writing. 

Flooding is a recurring problem across Appalachia. This week, we're taking stock, and looking back on floods that have devastated parts of West Virginia and Kentucky.We explore some of the reasons for floods, as well as the aftermath and the slow recovery that often follows disaster.It's not all gloom. Even in our hardest moments, there's always hope. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

A good blanket will keep you warm — but a handmade temperature blanket can convey a message to a loved one. This week, we talk to crocheters who make and share their art.Since 2018, there's been an explosion of LGBT writing about Appalachia. The editor of the new essay collection “Deviant Hollers” tells us about it and more.  And, there's an alternative to invasive bamboo, and it's native to the region and found by rivers.

This week, members of a Ukrainian Catholic church in Wheeling, West Virginia, make pierogies every week. They're popular with the community, but what makes them so good? Also, Salem, Virginia's Flat Five Studio got its first big break when the Dave Matthews Band was searching for a quiet place to record its first album. We hear the story of a big moment for a small studio.And, a longtime Bigfoot hunter believes his first encounter with the mythical monster happened when he was a kid.You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

This week, one person's roadside weed is another's “golden” treasure. So says a North Carolina fiber artist. We also talk with a children's book author about a school system that suspended its community reading program over concerns about the sex of her book's main character — an oak tree.And, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program is now available in every Kentucky community. We revisit our 2022 interview with the American icon. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

This week, we visit with a West Virginia man who shows his love for fishing by building exquisite, handmade fly rods. It's a long process, but he shares his knowledge with others.We also spill the tea on a classic roadside attraction in Chester, West Virginia.And punk music photographer Chelse Warren takes us into the pit for stories and observations. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

This week, dinos fight Civil War soldiers at a theme park throwback — Dinosaur Kingdom II in Natural Bridge, Virginia. Also, if you're hungry for a pepperoni roll in West Virginia, you can find one at just about any gas station. So — how did they get so popular? We'll hear one theory.And we check out the backstory of a bus that sits at the confluence of the New and Gauley rivers — and the man who put it there.Hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

This week, old-time music jams aren't just fun, they're good for your mental health.Also, the opioid epidemic has changed how we talk about addiction in Appalachia. But it's not America's only drug crisis.And, every year, hundreds of people parachute off the 876-foot-tall New River Gorge Bridge for Bridge Day, but not just anyone can do it. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

This week, hip hop started in New York and took root in places like West Virginia. We explore some of the history of the music and where it is today.Also, food deserts are places where it's hard to find nutritious food, but they're found in more than just rural counties in Appalachia. Food deserts are also in disenfranchised neighborhoods, like in East Knoxville. And, the Reverend George Mills Dickerson of Tazewell, Virginia, was born in the years after slavery ended. During Juneteenth, he's remembered especially through his poetry.You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.