Podcast appearances and mentions of kelley libby

This week, we travel to Charleston, West Virginia, to learn about the importance of funeral singers to Black communities. We'll also hear about a new tool whose maker believes he can help save thousands of lives from fatal opioid overdoses. And we talk with author Barbara Kingsolver about the influence of Appalachia in her books. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia. The Funeral Singer For many Black communities throughout the country, music is an essential component of end-of-life rituals. When a loved one dies, families often call upon a skilled singer to perform at a funeral as a way to offer comfort and healing.  Lyme Disease Lurks With Ticks Fall colors are really beginning to pop where I live, along the Blue Ridge Parkway. For a lot of people, this is the peak season to get outdoors. But while the end of summer comes with a drop in biting flies and mosquitos, we're not out of the woods yet. Folks venturing out into the forest are still at risk for tick bites and lyme disease. And y'all, here in central and northern Appalachia, we're in prime Lyme disease country.   West Virginia Public Broadcasting's Chris Schulz sat down with former West Virginia state health officer Dr. Ayne Amjad to discuss safety and prevention. The Great Eastern Trail In 1948, a hiker named Earl Shaffer came up with the idea of an alternative to the Appalachian Trail – the hiking only trail that passes through 14 states and spans nearly 2200 miles. Named the Great Eastern Trail, this other route stretches from the deep south to New England, just west of the Appalachian Trail, but it wasn't until 2007 that the Great Eastern Trail Association was created and parts of the trail began to open up to hikers. As Jessica Lilly reports, when hikers get to southern West Virginia, they find a trail that is incomplete.   A Box To Help Stop Overdoses Opioid addiction costs thousands of lives each year. Health officials and advocates are thinking creatively to find ways to stem the loss – but not everyone is thinking outside of the box to find solutions. Some people are thinking very much inside the box. Producer Bill Lynch has this story.   Barbara Kingsolver and Appalachia Barbara Kingsolver is one of Appalachia's most acclaimed authors. Her novel “The Poisonwood Bible” held down a spot on the New York Times bestseller list for more than a year. It's been in development at HBO since 2019.  Kingsolver's fiction takes readers all over the world, but she says her Appalachian roots inspire key parts of her stories. Liz McCormick sat down with Kingsolver to learn more.  Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Jesse Milnes, The Company Stores, Tyler Childers and The Appalachian Road Show. Bill Lynch is our producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. Zander Aloi also helped produce this episode. You can find us on Instagram and Twitter @InAppalachia.

This week, we bring back our special Halloween episode of Inside Appalachia from 2021. It's packed with ghost stories and mysteries from across the region. Museums Central West Virginia has a new monster museum that pays tribute to Bigfoot. The Sutton museum is small, and located in the back of a store that sells knick-knacks and handmade items by local artisans. The museum was created to document local sightings of what people described as these big, hairy primate-looking creatures. As if one monster museum weren't enough for a small town, Sutton is home to two. The Flatwoods Monster Museum is just about a block away. And like the Bigfoot museum, it's dedicated to a cryptid that's become part of modern pop culture. Spooky Season Fall is a season of spooky sounds, hayrides and pumpkin festivals. It's a time for bats and owls and black cats. We'll hear what happens when a self-proclaimed scaredy-cat takes a Halloween-themed wildlife tour. In 2019, reporter Brittany Patterson went on the "Spooky Nights Tour" at the West Virginia Wildlife Center, where visitors of all ages could see wild animals in the dark. Note, the Wildlife Center has stopped these special tours, for now, but they are still open during the day, so you can visit the wolves, panthers and otters that live there. Witches The story of the “Witch of Wildwood” takes place in a small coal camp town outside of Beckley. In the early 20th century a person named Kazimir Kiskis moved to town. Kazimir didn't fit in with the locals and Kazimir cooked food that smelled unlike anything the locals had ever experienced. One day the locals accused Kazimir of practicing witchcraft, potentially even casting a spell on local children. The night before Halloween, Kazimir was burned at the stake. We'll hear Beckley historian Scott Worley explain the story behind the supposed “Witch of Wildwood.” Skeletons You can't have Halloween without skeletons. In this episode, we hear a story about a skeleton named Mr. Death and how an elderly woman outwitted him by enlisting him to help with house-cleaning. Storyteller Lyn Ford told this story several years ago at the Timpanogos Storytelling Institute in Utah. Ford lives in Columbus, Ohio, but she grew up in Appalachian Pennsylvania and spent childhood summers in East Liverpool, Ohio. She says many of the stories she tells are adapted from folktales she heard as a child. Music in this episode is by Colby White, Nora Keys, Slate Dump, Tosca and The Soaked Lamb. Bill Lynch is our producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. Zander Aloi also helped produce this episode.

Something About The Water In Berkeley Springs There are natural springs all over Appalachia. The deep folds of rock that make up our mountains bring water from the depths to trickle out of our hillsides. That's where many people got their fresh water in the years before indoor plumbing. But in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, people are still filling jugs with spring water to lug back home. Why? Folkways reporter Zack Harold decided to fish around for some answers. Keeping the Fires Lit On The Cass Railroad Since 2019, our folkways team has produced more than 100 stories about Appalachian folklife — that is, traditions that are being passed down from one generation to the next. Passing down those traditions is important. In our story about the Cass Railroad, you'll meet railroad senior employee Rex Cassell. He passed away during the making of this story. But during his life, he was a crucial part of why visiting the Cass Railroad in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, feels like you're stepping back in time. Folkways Reporter Lauren Griffin brought us this story. “Lark Ascending” Amid extreme weather events like floods and fires, a new literary genre is emerging, called cli-fi. Short for climate fiction. Cli-fi tells stories about the effects of climate change on people and society. And Appalachian writers are penning their own works in the genre, including one of the region's premier writers, Kentucky author Silas House. His new novel is “Lark Ascending” which tells the story of a climate refugee from Appalachia.   The Message Behind The Music At “Healing Appalachia” The Healing Appalachia music festival returned to Greenbrier County in September. Headlined by eastern Kentucky's Tyler Childers, the festival went from a single day to two and included performances by Arlo McKinley, Margot Price and Galactic, among others.  But the festival has a larger mission than just having a good time. Producer Bill Lynch spoke with organizer Charlie Hatcher about what the festival hopes to accomplish. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Appalachian Road Show, The Company Stores, June Carter Cash and Tyler Childers. Bill Lynch is our producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. Zander Aloi also helped produce this episode.

Hear ye, hear ye, oyez, oyez, and all that jazz! Welcome to the 192nd day of the year, which is also somehow International Town Criers Day so I am honored to be here to present to you another installment of Charlottesville Community Engagement, a publication that enters its third year with this this 406th installment. I’m your host Sean Tubbs, ready to bring you as much information as I can, updating what it means to be a town crier in these fragmented times. Sign up to get all of the installment delivered in your inbox! If you opt for a paid subscription, Ting will match your initial payment! On today’s program:An update on COVID in Virginia as the BA.5 Omicron variant wave continuesLouisa County’s Board of Supervisors gets a briefing on a Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan but want to know more about its purposeUVA will ask to demolish an apartment complex from the 1940’s with no specific plans for the future of the 4.1 acre propertyA long-time official with the Charlottesville Fire Department now works for AlbemarleAnd an audio piece funded by the Charlottesville Sister Cities’s Commission makes it debutFirst shout-out: The Plant Northern Piedmont Natives Campaign Since the very beginning of this newsletter, one long-time Patreon supporter has used his shout-out to draw your attention to the work of the Plant Northern Piedmont Natives Campaign. The campaign is a coalition of grassroots partners including motivated citizens and volunteers, partner organizations, and local governments who want to promote the use of native plants. Summer is in high gear and pollinators are active! Want to learn more? Visit plantvirginianatives.org to download Piedmont Native Plants: A Guide for Landscapes and Gardens. COVID cases in Commonwealth continue to be prevalent with BA.5 wave The Virginia Department of Health reports another 2,132 new cases of COVID today as measured through the PCR tests conducted in health-care settings. The seven-day average of positive tests is now at 23 percent. “We are seeing quite a lot of community transmission of COVID-19,” said Dr. Patrick Jackson is an infectious disease expert at the University of Virginia Health System. “The numbers listed, the number of infections in the community, are going to be artificially low because so many people are doing hometesting and those don’t get into that pot.” Dr. Jackson said this is a similar pattern to what was seen during the early days of the Omicron wave last fall. He said what’s known as the BA.5 variant is not leading to as many hospitalizations or deaths. “It is encouraging that the numbers of bad outcomes don’t seem to be going up nearly as we’ve seen in previous waves,” Dr. Jackson said. “So this does look to be another period of time in which many people will become infected with COVID-19, become symptomatic with COVID-19, but probably would not expect to see another big wave of hospitalizations or deaths from this virus.” Dr. Jackson said it still makes sense for people to try to avoid the virus by getting boosted and by wearing masks while indoors, especially if you are immunocompromised. “If you’re going to be masking, I certainly would use a high-quality mask to try to get as much benefit out of that as possible,” Dr. Jackson said. “No face in making your face warm to no good end.” For more information on vaccinations and boosters, visit the Blue Ridge Health District’s website.University Gardens slated for demolitionAn apartment complex on U.S. 29 built in 1948 and owned by the University of Virginia since the early 1960’s will be torn down rather than renovated.“The University Gardens buildings have reached the end of their useful life and UVA Housing and Residence Life (HRL) has determined the best course of action is demolition since maintenance and operating expenses have escalated to a level where continued operation is no longer economically viable,” reads a fact-sheet for the development.Necessary repairs included upgrades to electric systems, roof replacements, and HVAC improvements. A plan to demolish the structures will be presented to the Board of Visitors in September. Demolition would take place early next year and the space will be converted to parking. “There are no immediate plans for redevelopment at this time,” the fact-sheet continues. The Board of Visitors’  next regular meeting is scheduled for September 15. Albemarle Fire Rescue hires Charlottesville veteran for new deputy chief There’s a new deputy chief of community risk and resilience at Albemarle County Fire Rescue. Emily Pelliccia was named to the position earlier this month after serving 28 years with the Charlottesville Fire Department. "Deputy Chief Pelliccia has a proven track record of success in establishing collaborative relationships with government officials, businesses, and community members that will be vital as our department grows to meet the needs and challenges of the developing community we serve,” said Albemarle County Fire Rescue Chief Dan Eggleston in a news release. Pelliccia began her career as a volunteer with the Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad. According to the release, she has served as “Firefighter, EMT, Captain, Battalion Chief, Deputy Chief, Emergency Manager, Hazmat Technician, SWAT Paramedic, and Health & Wellness Director.”In the new position, Pelliccia will oversee the Fire Marshals’ Office and Community Engagement. She’s been in the new role since June 21. Sister Cities Commission funded sound project debutsCharlottesville’s Sister Cities Commission exists to encourage cultural exchanges between our portion of the 38th parallel with four communities across the globe. Or five, if you count Pleven, Bulgaria.One of the communities is Poggio a Caiano in Italy, and yesterday a new audio piece funded by a grant from the Sister Cities Commission debuted. Charlottesville musicians Wes Swing and Kelley Libby traveled to Poggio this March to record sounds and local music. The result is a 32 minute piece called Storie Musicali, Italian for Musical Stories. The work also includes songs and sounds recorded in Charlottesville, and the two are blended together into one soundscape. Take a look on YouTube:Second shout-out: WTJU staging the Cville Puzzle Hunt on August 27In today’s second Patreon-fueled shout-out: By now, readers and listeners know WTJU’s position on algorithms. But do you know that the radio station celebrates puzzles? In fact, on Saturday, August 27, WTJU is organizing the Cville Puzzle Hunt, a huge, cerebral puzzle that will spool out across downtown Charlottesville. The Cville Puzzle Hunt will take you and a team of friends on a wild afternoon running around trying to untangle five diabolical, large-scale puzzles inserted into the urban landscape. The opening clue will be read at 1 p.m. at the Ix Art Park. Find out more about this WTJU-organized event at cvillepuzzlehunt.com. Louisa Supervisors briefed on Regional Hazardous Mitigation Plan, push back on incomplete dataThe Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission continues work on a document that’s intended to coordinate regional responses to natural disasters and other calamities. Ian Baxter of the TJPDC presented to the Louisa Board of Supervisors last week. (read the draft plan)“So the plan itself is essentially to prepare for natural disasters,” Baxter said. “We’re lookint to reduce loss of life, property damage, and disruption of commerce. I think I should reiterate before I get into the weeds, so we’re serving the six localities that comprise the Planning District.” Baxter initially said such plans were required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a condition of eligibility for some of its grant programs, but he would later clarify that information after the meeting. More on that below. Baxter said the plan is based on an analysis of the most likely disasters. The categories of Hurricanes/highwind/windstorms, flooding, and winter storms all rank as the highest probabilities for this region.Before Baxter’s presentation, several members of the public complained about a flooding problem in the town of Louisa. One Supervisors noted there were specific mitigations for each locality, but wondered how that might apply to an ongoing situation.“What does this document do for us?” asked Supervisor R.T. “Toni” Williams o“That’s a great question,” Baxter said. “The action items sort of serve as a base for what localities might engage in. These are aspirational. They’re not tied to implementing all of these mitigation action items. What it does for you is give you a good blueprint for what you can hope to accomplish over the next five years.” Baxter said having the plan in place would allow federal funding to flow after a disaster. Williams was skeptical of this approach. “It gives us access to funding after said disasters happen,” Williams said. “Because we have a mitigation plan. Just because we have one. We don’t have to do anything with it. It just sat on the shelf and because we spent money creating a plan, that gives us access to mitigation funds after a disaster happens. That just seems totally backwards to me.” Williams said he was not interested in what plans are for other communities in the area, but wanted to know what it could do for Louisa. Supervisor Bill Adams said he was concerned about data from the National Climate Data Center on page H-14 that summarizes the number of floods since 2010 and the amount of damages reported. Albemarle reported $50,000 whereas Greene reported $4.777 million. “And most other counties didn’t report anything,” Adams said. “We just heard people here talking about…. Mrs. Woolfork was talking about the $25,000 to their driveway, I’ve been to their house, I know their driveway, and I know the culverts they’re talking about replacing. It says here this data came from the National Climate Data Center. Obviously it’s not complete. Where do they get their data?”Baxter said he did not know where the data came from, but that the TJPDC relies on the data coming from the federal government. Williams said he wanted a work group to be convened of Louisa officials including town officials  to see if they can mitigate flooding on a specific portion of Beaver Creek. “In my mind that would be money well spent with the TJPDC,” Williams said. The working group will be formed and the draft plan will return to the Board. Baxter sent an email sent to Louisa Supervisors after the meeting to clarify something in his presentation. I misspoke when I described what the hazard mitigation plan provides eligibility for in terms of mitigation grants. In fact, a variety of pre­-disaster grants are open to localities that adopt a Hazard Mitigation Plan, and most post-disaster eligibility is not contingent on the adoption of a plan (so, the County would still be eligible for disaster relief even without an adopted plan). Please see the chart below:Thanks to Tammy Purcell of Engage Louisa for her help with a fact-check in this story.Support the program!This is episode 406 of this program and it contains stories you’re simply not going to see anywhere else. At least, a style you won’t find except here and Information Charlottesville. Town Crier Productions is not a nonprofit organization, but around a third of the audience has opted to contribute something financially. It’s similar to the old days when you would subscribe to a newspaper. I subscribe to several, myself!If you are benefiting from this newsletter and the information in it, please consider some form of support. I am not a nonprofit organization and most of my time is spent in putting the newsletter together, which includes producing the podcast.Supporting the program through a Substack contribution or through Patreon makes it very easy for me to get paid and every single dollar that I get makes me want to work that much harder to serve the community. In just under two years, I’ve produced hundreds of stories that seek to give you information about how decisions are made in our community and in the Commonwealth of Virginia.For more information on all of this, please visit the archive site Information Charlottesville to learn more, including how you too can get a shout-out! Thank you for reading, and please share with those you think might want to learn a few thing or two about what’s happening. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

This week, we're airing an encore episode of Inside Appalachia. We'll meet a man who makes wooden turkey calls, not ordinary turkey calls. Painter Brian Aliff doesn't call himself an artist, but he intricately paints his turkey calls, which are now collectors' items. We'll also meet people who make wooden paddles by hand and custom-decorate each one, and a man who repairs cuckoo clocks. Finally, we'll travel to some of the most beautiful spots in Appalachia to find wildflowers, like Dolly Sods and the Canaan Valley of West Virginia. And we wonder -- are these areas becoming too popular? Those stories and more this week Inside Appalachia.  Welder Keeps Old Clocks Ticking When you need to check the time, where do you look? Most people turn to their phones or digital watches. These days, it seems like every electronic device has a clock function in addition to whatever it's supposed to do, but it hasn't always been this way. Not all that long ago, marking the passage of time was the job of one device — a clock. Folkways reporter Zack Harold spent some time with Carl Witt, a man in Fairview, West Virginia who learned how to repair clocks after crossing paths with the late Charles Decker. Witt, a welder at the time, decided to retire and went on to start his own clock repair business — Curiosity Clockworks.  Dolly Sods Hosts Wildflower Pilgrimage Dolly Sods is federally protected public land — full of rocky ridges, soggy bogs and beautiful views. It's also the site of an annual nature walk called the West Virginia Wildflower Pilgrimage. This weekend will be the 60th time that wildflower and birding experts descend on the area for the event. Inside Appalachia co-host Mason Adams made the pilgrimage from his home in Floyd County, Virginia to Dolly Sods last year for the pilgrimage. Paddlers Design Their Own Gear Appalachia has several huge rivers: the Gauley, the Youghiogheny and the New River, just to name a few. Whitewater paddling is popular in the region, but it wasn't that long ago modern paddlers first started exploring these rivers, designing their own gear and even building their own paddles. Some of those DIY paddle makers are now master crafters and their work is in high demand. As part of our Inside Appalachia Folkways Project, Clara Haizlett learned more. Handmade Turkey Calls Like many Appalachian traditions, turkey calls go way back. Historically, they've been used as a hunting tool, but one West Virginia artist has taken it to the next level. Brian Aliff makes hand-crafted, prize-winning decorative turkey calls. These pieces are functional and they're becoming collector's items, but it took a while for Aliff to think of himself as an artist. Hear Folkways reporter Connie Kitts talk with Aliff on this week's episode. Increase In Tourism Puts Strain On Local Infrastructure Tucker County, West Virginia, has seen a surge of new visitors from Washington, D.C. in the years since U.S. Route 48, also known as Corridor H, opened.  The growing number of visitors is good for business, but it's also straining the resources of a county with just one stoplight and 7,000 year-round residents. Mason Adams visited the towns of Thomas and Davis in Tucker County, West Virginia and has this story about managing growth and resources against the backdrop of expansive natural beauty. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Wes Swing, Dinosaur Burps, and The Chamber Brothers. Roxy Todd is our producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Alex Runyon is our associate producer. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. Zander Aloi also helped produce this episode. 

This week on Inside Appalachia we'll visit a luthier's shop where old instruments get new life, and hear about a new comedy film set in Beckley, West Virginia. We'll also hear from author Neema Avashia, whose new book is "Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer And Indian In A Mountain Place."  Comedy Film Set In Beckley, West Virginia The upcoming slapstick comedy “Ambrosia” is set in a quirky bed and breakfast in Beckley, West Virginia. It's a feature-length movie, but it's not a Hollywood movie; the two directors are from West Virginia, along with nearly the entire cast and crew. The film is set to debut at the Raleigh Playhouse in Beckley this spring. Our Folkways reporter Clara Haizlett spoke with Beckley filmmakers Shane Pierce and Dave Gravely about the movie.. A Guitar Surgeon Gives Old Instruments Their Voices Back Bob Smakula of Elkins, West Virginia, has made a career out of fixing old musical instruments so modern musicians can keep playing them. He tries to make repairs to fix an instrument's problems while also staying true to its history.  “I've definitely honed my skills to try to be invisible,” he said.  “I don't want anybody to know I was ever there, except to go ‘Hey, this plays better than they usually do,' or ‘This sounds better than they usually do.'” Smakula has been honing his invisibility powers for a long time. Folkways reporter Zack Harold spoke with Smakula about his career for this week's episode.  Coming Up Queer and Indian In A Mountain Place Author Neema Avashia grew up in a neighborhood in Kanawha County, West Virginia as the daughter of immigrants. Her new book, "Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place," is a collection of essays that describe her experience growing up as an Indian American — who also happens to be queer — and an Appalachian. Co-host Mason Adams talked with Avashia about the book and about her experiences.  Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Blue Dot Sessions, Jake Schepps, and Dinosaur Burps. Roxy Todd is our producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Alex Runyon is our associate producer. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. Zander Aloi also helped produce this episode.  You can find us on Twitter @InAppalachia.

What is Appalachia? This week, we're re-airing a December 2021 episode that seeks to answer this question, with stories from Mississippi to Pittsburgh.  Appalachia connects mountainous parts of the South, the Midwest, the Rust Belt, even the Northeast. Politically, it encompasses 423 counties across 13 states — West Virginia is the only state entirely inside Appalachia.   That leaves so much room for geographic and cultural variation. This week, we ask people from five Appalachian states if they feel like they're in Appalachia.   Mississippi Bob Owens, locally known as 'Pop Owens', standing in front of his watermelon stand outside New Houlka, Miss. Pop said he was aware that Mississippi is part of Appalachia, but that no one in the state would consider themselves Appalachian. Caitlin Tan/WVPB Bob Owens is a watermelon farmer outside New Houlka, in the northeastern part of Mississippi. Owens said he was aware that Mississippi is part of Appalachia, but that no one in the state would consider themselves Appalachian.  Shenandoah Valley  In the 1960s, while some localities were clamoring to get into Appalachia, on the eastern edge of the region some lawmakers fought to keep their counties outside the boundaries, including politicians in Roanoke, Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. Appalachian Studies associate professor Emily Satterwhite said explaining to her students why some counties in Virginia are included in Appalachia, but others aren't is confusing.  Pittsburgh  Appalachia's largest city is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. When we asked people from that city to tell us if they consider it a part of Appalachia, about half said no.  “I definitely do not feel that I am Appalachian culturally,” said Mark Jovanovich, who grew up just outside Pittsburgh's city limits in the Woodland Hills area. “Personally, I would consider the city of Pittsburgh is sort of like a mini New York City. I guess we'd probably be lumped in as like a Rust Belt city, which makes enough sense, but definitely not Appalachian culturally.” Writer Brian O'Neill disagrees. He wrote a book called “The Paris of Appalachia: Pittsburgh in the Twenty-First Century.”  What Do You Think? How about you? Do you call yourself an Appalachian? Why or why not? Send an email to insideappalachia@wvpublic.org or Tweet to us @InAppalachia.  Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Amythyst Kiah, Jake Schepps, and Jarett Pigmeat, courtesy of Appalshop and June Appal Recordings and Dinosaur Burps. Roxy Todd is our producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Alex Runyon is our associate producer. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. Zander Aloi also helped produce this episode. Jess Mador, Shepherd Snyder and Liz McCormick contributed to this episode.

Thomas Jefferson said Patrick Henry “got the ball of revolution rolling.” Historian John Ragosta says Henry was five times elected governor of colonial Virginia, but it was his ability to electrify an audience that made him the idol of the common people. Plus: Before Patrick Henry died, he credited a Presbyterian minister named Samuel Davies with “teaching me what an orator should be.” Kelley Libby finds the story of Davies at a “ghost church” on a stretch of rural road. Also: Two hundred years ago this week the British burned Washington in the War of 1812. The man in the White House was our nation's fourth president, James Madison. Andrew Burstein says Madison was an intensely political man, but he wasn't slippery—you knew where you stood with him. Later in the show: More than 30 people spent three years immersed in transcribing and digitizing thousands of letters written by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Abigail Adams, and James Madison. Many of them said they experienced a sense of loss and sorrow when the massive project to proofread the letters and make them available online came to a close. Join us as Bill Kissell, Donna Carty, and Dena Radley share favorite letters that reveal the fascinating inner lives of the founders. Also: Project Director Sue Perdue and Kathleen Williams describe the scope of this remarkable project of the National Archives called “Founders Online”.

Lawmakers across Appalachia are debating how issues of race are taught in public schools, but the U.S. isn't the only country with an unsettling history to deal with.  In Germany, teachers are mandated to include lessons about one of their nation's darkest chapters — the Holocaust. This week on Inside Appalachia, we look at those discussions, and hear from people in Germany, about how they teach their difficult history. And we learn about some of the often overlooked stories of Black Americans during and after the Civil War. Seizing Freedom With Kidada Williams Kidada Williams is host of the podcast Seizing Freedom from VPM and Molten Heart. Its first season includes stories of enslaved Black Americans whose lives were radically changed when the Civil War broke out. As the Confederacy started to fall, Union soldiers occupied  parts of the South, which gave some enslaved people ideas about a way to escape to freedom. Our producer Roxy Todd spoke with Williams to learn more. A Critical Moment Audio Documentary While at least nine states have already banned teachers from bringing up certain topics about race in the classroom, others have legislation in the works around the issue. But, the U.S. isn't the only country with an unsettling history to deal with. In Germany, teachers are mandated to include lessons about the Holocaust, one of their nation's darkest chapters. WFPL Arts and Culture Reporter Stephanie Wolf traveled to Germany to explore how the Holocaust is covered in schools there, and she produced an audio documentary about what she learned. Wolf teamed up with her station's education reporter, Jess Clark, to compare Germany's approach to teaching about the Holocaust with the debate in Kentucky about how our own uncomfortable history is covered in schools. Their audio documentary is called A Critical Moment.  Banning Books in Public Schools The debate around Critical Race Theory is spilling into debates about what books are included in public school curricula, and even in school libraries. This issue has been front and center in Tennessee, where a school board removed a Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust. Our co-host Mason Adams spoke with Blaise Gainey, a reporter who covers the state capitol in Nashville for WPLN, about the controversy. Email us at insideappalachia@wvpublic.org. Tweet us @InAppalachia.  Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Wes Swing, Jake Schepps, and Dinosaur Burps. Roxy Todd is our producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Alex Runyon is our associate producer. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. This episode was produced with assistance from Aileen LeBlanc and the Public Media Journalists Association Editor Corps, funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting — a private corporation funded by the American people. Zander Aloi also helped produce this episode.  You can find us on Twitter @InAppalachia.

This week's episode of Inside Appalachia features stories about a West Virginia black metal band that plays songs about local history. We'll also hear how folks are helping make skiing, whitewater rafting, and rock climbing more accessible to people in West Virginia. And while labor struggles in Appalachia historically included coal miners, we'll hear how other workers in other industries have attempted to unionize in the past year.  Making Skiing More Affordable During the winter, a lot of people are getting out and skiing, but the sport has a high cost to entry. Lift tickets can cost upwards of $200 a day. But in West Virginia, there are grassroot efforts to make skiing and other outdoor sports more affordable. Part of that effort is headed up by Corey Lilly, the director of Outdoor Economic Development in the City of Beckley. Inside Appalachia co-host Caitlin Tan spoke with Lilly about bridging the economic gap in the outdoor sports world. Black Metal In Appalachia Appalachia is home to creators of all kinds, including heavy-metal musicians. In fact, there's a movement of musicians across the region who play a strain of music known as black metal. An example is the band Nechochwen, from northern West Virginia. The band plays songs about local history and Native American heritage. Aaron Carey, who makes up half the band, spoke with Inside Appalachia co-host Mason Adams from his home in Wellsburg, West Virginia. Fast Food And Steel Workers Attempt Unionization There's recently been a resurgence of labor activism across West Virginia. We often think of unions in the context of coal miners' strikes, but workers in other industries are organizing too, as Ohio Valley ReSource reporter Katie Myers reports. Helping Children Who've Experienced Trauma No matter who you are or where you're from, adversity is part of being human. A federal study found that more than 60 percent of people surveyed had what's known as an adverse childhood experience. This could include violence, abuse, neglect, or an unstable living situation. Research shows that trauma in childhood can lead to chronic mental and physical problems later in life. Even one event can cause problems. But what happens when children experience multiple traumas? This week, we feature an excerpt from the Us & Them podcast, hosted by Trey Kay. He introduces us to a grandmother raising her granddaughter who experienced trauma at an early age. We'll hear how the child is doing today, and the challenges her grandmother has faced in helping her grandchild heal.  Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Nechochwen, Dog and Gun, Wes Swing, and Dinosaur Burps. Roxy Todd is our producer. Our interim executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. Zander Aloi also helped produce this episode. Alex Runyan is our new Associate Producer. 

In this week's episode of Inside Appalachia, we explore stories about the power of memory and tradition. Listeners across Appalachia share some of their favorite traditions, and our reporters and hosts share some of our family traditions, too. We've got recipes for things like cranberry salad and sorghum gingerbread. Reporter Zack Harold tells us how his family began a unique tradition of hunting for Easter eggs on Christmas Eve. We travel to a farm in Bluefield, Virginia, where goats sing along to Christmas carols, played on an organ.   Co-host Caitlin Tan shares her grandmother's recipe for stollen, a special German sweet bread that she makes each Christmas. And co-host Mason Adams sits down with his mom to talk about baking cookies during the holidays.  Singing Goats There is a tradition in Appalachia of observing “Old Christmas” on January 6. Folklore suggests that animals speak in the middle of the night on Old Christmas. But it turns out, you don't have to wait till Jan. 6 to hear goats singing to Christmas carols.  We heard about these music-loving goats through Connie Bailey-Kitts, who lives in Bluefield, Virginia. Her goats love to listen to a church organ she keeps on her property. The organ dates back to the 1920s. “If they hear the music playing, they'll come down from the field when the organ's playing," she said. "And the organ's really, really powerful. It's got a really big sound, and they're drawn to it." Bailey-Kitts said her goats will lift their ears up like they're trying to catch more of the sound of the organ.  “I think they don't know quite what to make of it," she said. "It doesn't intimidate them either. It's just amazing.” Gingerbread Folkways Corps reporter Connie Bailey-Kitts brings us a story about her family's gingerbread recipe, using homemade sorghum. The recipe is passed down from her grandmother, Alice Bailey, who was widowed shortly before the stock market crashed in 1929. Sugar was expensive and scarce, but sorghum was easy to grow on their mountain land. You could boil down its juice to a thick sweet syrup. It technically wasn't “molasses” (which comes from sugar) but it looked so much like it, it was called sorghum molasses. Our Inside Appalachia theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Ritchie Collins, The Ritch Collins Three-O, Bortex, Blue Dot Sessions, Ross Hollow and their song “Appalachian Love Song”, written by Stuart and Annalee Johnson-Kwochka, and Josh Ritter and Corey Chisel as heard on Mountain Stage.  Roxy Todd is our producer. Our executive producer is Andrea Billups. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. Zander Aloi and Eric Douglas also helped produce this episode. You can find us on Twitter @InAppalachia. You can also send us an email to InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

This week's episode of Inside Appalachia explores stories about families, friends, and how people on opposite ends of the political spectrum connect through music, food and conversations about tough topics. We'll hear the story of one of the world's best fiddlers, Clark Kessinger, from St. Albans, West Virginia. We'll learn how he inspired his nephew, Robin Kessinger, to play the guitar.  We'll also talk about how East African immigrant communities in a small town in West Virginia are connecting back to their home traditions through coffee ceremonies.  Kessinger Brothers Robin Kessinger is a national award-winning flatpicker, and yet he still spends his days teaching kids and adults their first chords. One of his main musical mentors was a music legend in his own right. Inside Appalachia folkways reporter Zack Harold has the story. Coffee Ceremonies  Moorefield, West Virginia, is home to about 3,300 people — about one in 10 are immigrants. That includes a small community from Eritrea and Ethiopia. Many of them work at the chicken processing plant in town, Pilgrim's Pride. The hours there are long and don't leave much time for socializing. Still, members of that East African community continue to practice a tradition they've brought from home: the coffee ceremony. Folkways reporter Clara Haizlett brings us this story, with help from former West Virginia state folklorist Emily Hilliard.  Young Farmers Struggle To Find Land For generations here in Appalachia, fall has been a time of harvest. On farms, there's a mad rush to get all the last crops in before that first hard freeze. It's a tough time of year in an already difficult job. For a lot of folks, farming is a constant uphill battle to get out of debt. And yet, people still want to farm, including a growing number of young people. But one of the biggest barriers to young farmers is accessing affordable land. WESA's An-Li Herring reports.   Virtual Dinner Party  We're in the midst of the holiday season, nearly two years into the pandemic, and some of us are getting to see our families for the first time in a while. But family get-togethers, even during non-pandemic times, can also be stressful, especially if you have family members who have political views that don't quite line up with yours. Our colleagues at the Us & Them podcast started a tradition last Thanksgiving — a virtual dinner party of people with different political views. They returned this year with another holiday dinner party to talk about issues with the intention of finding some common ground between servings of turkey and pumpkin pie.  Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Blue Dot Sessions, Jake Schepps, Wes Swing, and Dinosaur Burps. Roxy Todd is our producer. Our executive producer is Andrea Billups. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. Zander Aloi also helped produce this episode. You can find us on Twitter @InAppalachia. You can also send us an email to InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

A few weeks ago, we asked listeners to share your favorite spooky stories from across Appalachia. This week's special Halloween episode of Inside Appalachia is packed with ghost stories and mysteries from across the region. Museums Central West Virginia has a new monster museum that pays tribute to Bigfoot. The Sutton museum is small, and located in the back of a store that sells knick-knacks and handmade items by local artisans. The museum was created to document local sightings of what people described as these big, hairy primate-looking creatures.  As if one monster museum weren't enough for a small town, Sutton is home to two. The Flatwoods Monster Museum is just about a block away. And like the Bigfoot museum, it's dedicated to a cryptid that's become part of modern pop culture.  Spooky Season Fall is a season of spooky sounds, hayrides and pumpkin festivals. It's a time for bats and owls and black cats. We'll hear what happens when a self-proclaimed scaredy-cat takes a Halloween-themed wildlife tour.  In 2019, reporter Brittany Patterson went on the "Spooky Nights Tour" at the West Virginia Wildlife Center, where visitors of all ages could see wild animals in the dark. Note, the Wildlife Center has stopped these special tours, for now, but they are still open during the day, so you can visit the wolves, panthers and otters that live there. Witches The story of the “Witch of Wildwood” takes place in a small coal camp town outside of Beckley. In the early 20th century a person named Kazimir Kiskis moved to town. Kazimir didn't fit in with the locals and Kazimir cooked food that smelled unlike anything the locals had ever experienced. One day the locals accused Kazimir of practicing witchcraft, potentially even casting a spell on local children. The night before Halloween, Kazimir was burned at the stake.  We'll hear Beckley historian Scott Worley explain the story behind the supposed “Witch of Wildwood.” Skeletons You can't have Halloween without skeletons. In this episode, we hear a story about a skeleton named Mr. Death and how an elderly woman outwitted him by enlisting him to help with house-cleaning. Storyteller Lyn Ford told this story several years ago at the Timpanogos Storytelling Institute in Utah. Ford lives in Columbus, Ohio, but she grew up in Appalachian Pennsylvania and spent childhood summers in East Liverpool, Ohio. She says many of the stories she tells are adapted from folktales she heard as a child. Music in this episode is by Colby White, Nora Keys, Slate Dump, Tosca and The Soaked Lamb. Roxy Todd is our producer. Our executive producer is Andrea Billups. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. Zander Aloi also helped produce this episode. 

What is a Crankie? When traditional Appalachian musician Anna Roberts-Gevalt first showed ballad singer Elizabeth LaPrelle a crankie, Elizabeth was speechless. “I really freaked out,” LaPrelle told WUNC's Laura Candler in 2013.  Crankies, which originated in Europe, have been used for years to enhance the art of live storytelling. A crankie consists of long rolls of fabric that are rolled up on either side,  decorated with scenes and images that tell a story. The operator of the crankie then turns the crank as they sing or tell their story. Think of it as a small, tiny theater.  Roberts-Gevalt and LaPrelle met during a show in Virginia and combined their talents to form Anna and Elizabeth. The duo decided to incorporate crankies in their performances to help bring them to life. And though they are no longer performing together, their three albums and countless performances left a lasting imprint on the Appalachian music scene.  In this week's episode, we listen back to a 2013 interview where Roberts-Gevalt and LaPrelle describe how they met and their inspiration behind incorporating crankies into their performances.  Triangle of Skunks Bil Lepp has made a name for himself as one of the region's most famous storytellers. Lepp is a five-time champion of the West Virginia Liars Contest. He has also been described as “a side-splittingly funny man” by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife. One example is a hilarious story Lepp tells about summer camp and a family of skunks. He performed the story “Skunks” during a Mountain Stage performance at the West Virginia Culture Center. Listen to this week's Inside Appalachia to hear it.  Sweet Tea and Red Wine Michael Reno Harrell is a storyteller from Burke County, North Carolina. His mother's family, including his aunt Eloise, spent most of their life in Buncombe County, just outside Asheville. Harrell, like so many others, hasn't had the chance to see anyone in his extended family during the past year. So, when we asked Harrell which story of his he'd like to share, he chose one called “Sweet Tea and Red Wine,” about his mom, and her sister-in-law, his aunt Eloise. We'll listen to a performance of the story from the 2017 International Storytelling Center. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Tyler Childers, as heard on Mountain Stage, Dinosaur Burps, Michael Reno Harrell and Anna and Elizabeth. Roxy Todd is our producer. Jade Artherhults is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Andrea Billups. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. Zander Aloi also helped produce this episode. You can find us on Twitter @InAppalachia.

Valentine's Day gets a lot of flack for being sappy, cliche or just a marketing ploy by card and chocolate companies. But we tend to think there is more to it than that.  So, for this episode of Inside Appalachia, we asked our listeners for their best Appalachian love stories.  We received more stories than we could include in a single show, but we included some of our favorites, including one couple who met on the Yahoo personals page, a grandmother's surprising first love, a couple separated by international borders during a pandemic and the story of a couple who met through a Freedom of Information Act request.  We'll also talk with a biologist, and a philosopher, on whether animals can feel love. Do Animals Feel Love?  If you've ever watched animals interact, it seems like they feel love. Penguins mate for life. Elephants form a bond through wrapping their trunks together before they mate. Some types of wolves mate for life and help raise the wolf pups. So, do animals actually feel love?  A few years back, our producer, Roxy Todd, saw an otter that got her thinking about this question.   Unconditional Love For Animals Dogs seem to accept us unconditionally, but we'll hear from a young woman who feels the same about her dog. Ida Miller is the proud owner of Sephora, a black and brown german shepherd mix.  Ida has had Sephora for three years -- she adopted her in college. Ida says she almost gave Sephora up because owning her first puppy was so overwhelming. But now she can't imagine her life without her.  Tweet Us! Do you have a dog or a cat, an iguana or even a fish? We'd love to see all the animals out there who listen to Inside Appalachia with their human companions. Tweet us a photo, we're @InAppalachia Love And Loss Every relationship goes through different stages. Life-long partners eventually face a difficult chapter. Danny McNeeley and Tim Albee talked about what it was like for each of them to lose their previous life partners. They recorded their conversation back in 2018 when the Storycorps mobile recording bus visited Charleston, West Virginia. Love Of Nature Cross country skiing can get you into the backcountry where you can see views that you'd normally hike to in the summer. Chip Chase is the owner of the White Grass Ski Touring Center, in Tucker County, West Virginia. He has a love for nature and the environment that surrounds him.  Happy Valentine's Day! Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Jake Xerxes Fussell, Dinosaur Burps, Podington Bear and Blue Dot Sessions.  Roxy Todd is our producer. Eric Douglas is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Andrea Billups. Kelley Libby edited our show this week. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. Zander Aloi also helped produce this episode. You can find us on Twitter @InAppalachia. You can also send us an email to InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org. Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

This week we’re debuting a new podcast series called American Dissent, hosted by Kelley Libby. In Episode 1: Influenced by Colin Kaepernick’s protest of police brutality during the National Anthem, a high school volleyball player initiates her own protest, and not without consequences. And a historian tells the story of a religious minority who helped win the American Revolution and the fight for religious freedom in America. American Dissent is a production of James Madison’s Montpelier and With Good Reason at Virginia Humanities.

Teaser for the new podcast American Dissent. What happens when we push back against injustice? When we stand up for what we think is right? Does the Constitution protect us? All of us? From the Founding era to the present, everyday Americans have shaped our nation by going against the grain, even when they faced tough consequences. Hosted by With Good Reason’s Kelley Libby, this series explores the history and promise of one of our most fundamental liberties. Episodes drop on Constitution Day, September 17th. American Dissent is a production of James Madison’s Montpelier and With Good Reason at Virginia Humanities.

Monuments are all the rage following actions to remove Confederate monuments in New Orleans, and closer to home in Charlottesville, VA.  Last week, Mayor Levar Stoney made a major announcement that he is appointing a 10-member commission to study ways to add context to the monuments on Monument Avenue. Mayor Stoney said, "it's time to set the historical record straight." But is now the right time to discuss monuments when the city and region are facing other critical issues? I've brought together a great round table to discuss what else? Monuments. I'm joined by Bill Martin, Historian and Director of the Valentine Museum, Julian Hayter, Historian and educator at University of Richmond, Tawnya Pettiford-Wates (Dr. T),  educator at VCU and Director of the Conciliation Project, Noah Scalin, educator, Social Justice artist and activist, Ted Elmore, Creator of BridgePark, Pam Mines, Founder of JP Jumpers Foundation, Alex Mejias, singer -songwriter, community activist, and Kelley Libby, Storyteller, Producer of UnMonumental. This podcast just touches the surface, there will be very serious discussions happening within our region about monuments, history, and the path forward. I hope you enjoy this podcast. Please subscribe to the Cheats Movement Podcast on Itunes and Soundcloud. And if you really like this podcast leave a comment on Itunes. The Table Podcast is brought to you by our Sponsor Health Warrior. A superfood company, headquartered in Richmond, VA, that believes better health will build a strong society.

Under the indignity of the Jim Crow South, some truly remarkable stories were born. This week, we speak with the authors who chronicled two true stories of African-American resistance that have now become Oscar-nominated movies: Margot Lee Shetterly, whose book Hidden Figures documents the tale of the African-American women who put a man on the moon; and Peter Wallenstein, who tells the story of Richard and Mildred Loving, the couple who struck down bans on interracial marriage. Plus, producer Kelley Libby talks with the voice of NPR about their different experiences of growing up in the South.

While most Americans know Native American tribes like the Lakota or Cherokee, the Mandan are less well known. In her Pulitzer Prize-winning book Encounters at the Heart of the World, historian Elizabeth Fenn recounts the story of the Plains Mandan tribe as they rose to a population of 12,000, before being nearly wiped out in a few short years. Fenn turns to untraditional sources from archeology to climatology to tell a history that supposedly couldn’t be written. Later in the show: It’s been a year since the mass shooting of churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina by a gunman whose online manifesto includes photos of himself with emblems of white supremacy. The shooting sparked national conversation about the removal of Confederate battle flags and monuments from public spaces. In a candid conversation, Chioke I’Anson and Kelley Libby share their thoughts on Richmond, Virginia’s Confederate monuments, racism, and growing up in the Deep South.

Papayas in December (December 12, 2015) Small farms can now grow raspberries, blackberries, ginger, or even tropical fruits like papayas in December without the need of expensive greenhouses. Reza Rafie has been working with simple structures called high-tunnels that can maintain a 65-degree temperature in the winter months. Wanda Johnson (Virginia State University) creates delectable dishes like papaya salad using the produce grown in these high tunnels. And: With so many nutrition studies contradicting each other, it's hard to know what to believe when it comes to food and health. Alan Levinovitz (James Madison University) says the proliferation of fad diets--rooted in myth not science--are a reaction to that confusion. Later in the show: Most of the chestnuts roasting on open fires this winter are from Europe or Asia, not America. American chestnut trees were largely wiped out by blight. Heather Griscom (James Madison University) is helping to restore American chestnut trees. Plus: What’s Christmas without a little organ music? With Good Reason producer Kelley Libby visits one of the oldest working organs in America and brings us a private recital by Tom Marshall (William and Mary).

Uptalk” is that rising, questioning tone some people use when ending a statement. It’s becoming so common that Thomas Linneman (College of William and Mary) studied its use by contestants on the game show Jeopardy. He found women use it more than men, but male contestants often use “uptalk” after a woman competitor gets a wrong answer. And: Most of us think the best way to motivate is with rewards like money. But best-selling author Dan Pink says that’s a mistake. He says the secret to high performance and satisfaction is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to create new things, and to better our world. Also featured: First published in 1947, Goodnight Moon has become one of the most popular books for young children. Yet the book’s author, Margaret Wise Brown, always wanted to write for adults. With Good Reason’s Kelley Libby tells the story of Brown’s life, from Hollins College to her tragic early death. Also featured: After World War II, the International Youth Library in Munich was created to promote understanding by introducing Germany’s children to the literature of other cultures. It’s now the largest repository of children’s literature in the world. Dr. Osayimwense Osa (Virginia State University) is a former fellow at the library. He says the internationalizing of children’s literature is a step toward world peace. And: With busy schedules and media-soaked lives, have our children lost their ability to engage in moment-by-moment experiences? Michele Briggs and Tammy Gilligan (James Madison University) discuss the lost art of mindfulness, its importance to classroom decorum and academic achievement, and what teachers can do to help children learn this important skill.

Most of the chestnuts roasting on open fires this winter are from Europe or Asia, not America. In the early 1900s, American chestnut trees from Maine to Georgia were largely wiped out by blight. Heather Griscom (James Madison University) is helping to restore American chestnut trees and joins us for a sampling of holiday chestnut treats. Plus: What’s Christmas without a little organ music? With Good Reason producer Kelley Libby visits one of the oldest working organs in America and brings us a private recital by Tom Marshall (William and Mary). Later in the show: Whether it’s a traditional hymn or a holiday song from our childhood, many people say Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without the music that marks this season. The sense of joy, comfort, or spiritual uplift comes in all kinds of music at this time of year. From a Charlie Brown Christmas to Donny Hathaway and carols from the 15th century, Inman Majors (James Madison University), Hermine Pinson (College of William and Mary), and Rob Vaughan (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) share their favorite holiday music and memories.

Producer Kelley Libby produced a radio story about 13 year-old farmer Colby Perron while at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. This is not that story. But if you listen to Colby's story, you will hear a very short scene in which a calf is born. Kelley spent all day, waiting on a cold concrete floor in a barn in Topsham, Maine, just to get the recording she needed for that scene. Later, she realized the tape she got told a separate story about waiting, pain, responsibility, knowledge and the beginning of life. We can't help but mention that this story would also fit into Big Shed's Audio Verite + 1 Competition if we hadn't given her some editorial help. But you should be inspired. If Kelley can record an audio verite story without even trying, surely you can too.