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Jessica Shelton and Katie Myers have been on the frontlines of responding to the flooding disaster in Eastern Kentucky in a variety of roles. We talk with them about their work and the region's recovery. Jessica Shelton is the director of the Appalachian Media Institute at Appalshop in Whitesburg, Kentucky. We talk with her about her work as an organizer with the grassroots organization EKY Mutual Aid, which has been helping those directly impacted by the devastating floods that hit southeastern Kentucky in late July by meeting needs in real time and offering direct cash assistance. Katie Myers is the economic transition reporter for the Ohio Valley ReSource and WMMT 88.7 FM in Whitesburg, Kentucky. Her work has also appeared on NPR and Inside Appalachia, and in Belt Magazine, Scalawag Magazine, the Daily Yonder, and others. We talk with Katie about reporting on the flood and her own experience waking up to the disaster. To get these podcasts and more rural stories in your inbox, register at www.ruralassembly.org/newsletters
In this episode, Neil and Will follow up on the previous Disney episode and sit down with Barry Cook to talk about "My Peoples." Barry Cook is a legend in the animation industry, along with directing Disney hits like "Mulan," he also wrote the only Appalachian based Disney movie to date, that unfortunately never got made. Barry discusses the history of "My Peoples" and how art played such a prominent role in his life. Take a listen as he talks about the possibilities of "My Peoples" being revived, and Neil shares his thoughts on the issue...spoiler alert, Neil is adamant about this movie happening, as well he should be! Don't forget about the #AppBiz(s) of the week: Patch Animation Studio and the Appalachian Media Institute. Barry Cook - www.barrycook.film Barry Cook Stories - www.barrycookstories.com Studio PB&J - www.studiopbj.com Disney Lost and Found - Book: Exploring the Hidden Artword from Never-Produced Animation Dolly Parton NFT - www.welcometodollyverse.com Redevelopment Institute - www.redevelopmentinstitute.org International Economic Development Council (IEDC) - www.iedconline.org Patch Animation Studio - www.patchanimation.com Appalachian Media Institute - www.amiappalshop.org Music: - Ricky Skaggs - "Appalachian Joy" - Dolly Parton - "Better Days"
Foster Care in a Pandemic World The pandemic has reshaped so much of our lives, and that was true for families fostering and adopting children, too. In Eastern Kentucky, 22-year-old Hannah Adams found herself with a front-row view of the process, after she was sent back home from college and moved back in with her mom, who was in the midst of adopting a foster child. As a result, Hannah made a 12-minute audio documentary about the experience for the Appalachian Media Institute, called “Foster Care in a Pandemic World.” New Fathers and Quarantine Babies Becoming a parent can be scary. Add a global pandemic into the equation and that can make things even scarier. This week, we check back in with new fathers, including Joe Buckland, of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. His fiancé gave birth to their daughter in early 2020, just before the global pandemic. Buckland reflected on the memories that stand out to him from the past year, including moments where he and his family found peace together. He recalled an evening last summer when he was rocking his daughter Olivia to sleep. “And she just nuzzled in. And it just felt complete.” Teens in Wales and Appalachia Share Commonalities Appalachia's had hundreds of years of connection to Wales; why should the pandemic get in the way? A group of teenagers from Wales and Appalachia have been sending each other audio letters over the last year. Sam McCarthy and Ela Cudlip are from Merthyr Tydfill, Wales. And Brooke Thomas and Mackenzie Kessler are from Fayette County, West Virginia. They shared their stories about how their family and school lives have been impacted by the pandemic, and it turns out, much of what they've experienced is universal. Their past year has been marked by upended milestones, like delays in getting their driver's licenses. Road to Recovery Going forward, there's a long road to recovery, whether it's of our social lives, our jobs, or our health. We've lost over half a million Americans, and some COVID long-haulers are still dealing with lingering health effects. Others have made a full recovery after fearing for their lives. That was the case for Robert Villamagna, who lives in Wheeling, West Virginia. He got a serious case of COVID-19 and was hospitalized twice. Last year, we twice featured Villamagna on Inside Appalachia. In this episode, we catch up with him again to see how things are going now. Dealing with COVID-Related Burnout The past year has been tough on all of us. Many people are starting to feel pandemic-related fatigue. Carol Smith, professor of counseling at Marshall University, said it's normal to feel burned out. Issues have compounded on each other and have left people feeling down. Smith said being kind to ourselves is key to getting through social isolation. She also suggested against scheduling tasks back-to-back, as it doesn't give our brain time to rest. If you or someone you know need to talk to a mental health professional, call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Helpline. The number is 1-800-662-4357.
DECEMBER 19 EDITION - FULL LENGTH _______________________ SEGMENTS ONE: Appalshop at 50: a conversation with an "original," filmmaker Herb E. Smith, and Willa Johnson, director of the Appalachian Media Institute. LISTEN TWO: Composer , pianist and arranger Rachel Grimes and filmmaker Catharine Axley discuss the original multi-media folk opera "The Way Forth." LISTEN THREE: Historian Thomas Weyant talks about his research into the influences of the cold war between the US and former Soviet Union on the modern American Christmas. LISTEN
DECEMBER 19 EDITION - FULL LENGTH _______________________ SEGMENTS ONE: Appalshop at 50: a conversation with an "original," filmmaker Herb E. Smith, and Willa Johnson, director of the Appalachian Media Institute. LISTEN TWO: Composer , pianist and arranger Rachel Grimes and filmmaker Catharine Axley discuss the original multi-media folk opera "The Way Forth." LISTEN THREE: Historian Thomas Weyant talks about his research into the influences of the cold war between the US and former Soviet Union on the modern American Christmas. LISTEN
This episode features stories centering the land we live on, and how we craft healthy lives for our families and communities on that land. From the archives we’ll hear a delightful story produced during the Appalachian Media Institute's 2009 Audio Lab. Sarah Craft recorded her family on hog-killing day. Then, WMMT reporter Sydney Boles brings us an update on Letcher County’s CANE commercial kitchen. Last, we’ll hear three pieces from the Ohio Valley ReSource. The first focuses on state policies across the region that restrict the expansion of renewable energy sources like solar. In the second, we learn about record breaking rates of Sexually Transmitted infections across the U.S. And last, we’ll hear about some ideas for how to clean up and re-purpose abandoned mine lands throughout Central Appalachia. Photo of Letcher County Farmers Charlie and Joyce Pinson at the CANE Kitchen, by Sydney Boles.
In this episode we'll hear about this summer's Appalachian Media Institute. This is a special AMI summer, because it’s the first in Appalshop’s history to be themed. To celebrate its 30th anniversary, AMI partnered up with another Appalshop program, All Access EKY, to bring a female/non-binary summer, focusing on the issues of reproductive health care and access to birth control in Eastern Kentucky. Seven talented interns have spent six-weeks studying documentaries, partaking in hands-on workshops, and researching women’s reproductive healthcare in preparation to make their own films. This mountain talk, produced by AMI peer trainer Hannah Adams, will include media created throughout this summer and past semesters of All Access, as well as interviews with the interns themselves.
In this episode we’re celebrating the 30th Birthday of an important youth leadership and media training center based here at Appalshop: the Appalachian Media Institute. First we’ll hear from current AMI Director Kate Fowler, and All Access EKY Project Director at Appalshop, Willa Johnson, who share their personal histories with the program, as well as an overarching history of the project’s 30 year legacy. Then, Oakley Fugate and Destiny Caldwell, two former AMI interns, who are still involved with the project today, share a few favorite memories and describe how AMI has shaped their lives.
On this week's Mountain News & World Report: Appalachia has long been known as a home to traditional music and crafts, but less well known is our thriving digital arts scene. We'll hear from WMMT's Rich Kirby about the history of the guitar and the Crooked Road Heritage Music Project, an excerpt from Malcolm Wilson's 2016 Interview with WV born musician Glen Simpson, and WMMT's Rachel Garringer shares a piece about Appalachian Media Institute youth filmmaker Oakley Fugate - who was recently selected for an exciting fellowship!
The 2016 Appalachian Media Institute interns speak with WMMT about their experiences in this year’s Summer Documentary Institute and thoughts about the region and their futures within it. Since 1988, Appalshop’s Appalachian Media Institute (AMI) has provided opportunities for young people from central Appalachia to explore their communities and develop their creative skills through the arts and media. This is a pivotal time for central Appalachia as we work for a transition to a more diversified regional economy, and this year AMI focused on Envisioning Our Future. Six youth from eastern Kentucky participated in this 8-week program providing training in documentary storytelling and a chance to explore, produce and share youth-led visions for the region’s future.
In this episode of Mountain Talk Monday, hear the voices of the 2016 Appalachian Media Institute summer interns. This year’s cast are all from eastern Kentucky! The work of AMI youth producers has been heard on NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered, screened at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, and the Sundance Film Festival. AMI helps young people explore how media production skills can be used to ask, and begin to answer, critical questions about themselves and their communities. This year’s interns tackled the issues of discrimination, the struggle to stay in the mountains, to whom does old time Appalachian music belong, and sexual/gender identity. In this hour, the interns discuss why they applied to AMI, how they chose their topics, the experience of the institute, and what they hope to see in the future of their Appalachia.