Podcasts about south carolina public radio

On Friday's throughout the month of April, we're going to be highlighting some other shows that we are apart of creating! . This week, enjoy a hour of history, games, and trivia with Bran & Dan on their South Carolina Public Radio show, Who What When!About Who What When: Who What When is an interactive gameshow from South Carolina Public Radio that takes listeners on a journey through history and pop culture. On each episode, hosts Daniel Thompson and Brandon Gray quiz listeners about important people and moments throughout the ages, share little-known trivia, and generally try to have fun with our collective past.Interested in taking home the title of "Who What When Champion of the Week"? You can be a contestant on Who What When by calling 803-470-6347 or sending an email to whowhatwhen@scpublicradio.org.Let's make history together — one question at a time!Listen to Who What When every week: https://www.southcarolinapublicradio.org/show/who-what-when

On this episode of the South Carolina Lede for November 2, 2024: a special crossover of the Lede and “This Week in South Carolina,” taped live at SCETV's studios in Columbia. Gavin is joined by Associated Press national politics reporter Meg Kinnard and South Carolina Public Radio's Maayan Schechter to discuss Election 2024 up and down the ballot before a studio audience.

On this episode of the South Carolina Lede for August 23, 2024: a recap of the final day of the Democratic National Convention with VP Kamala Harris formally accepting her party's nomination for president; we also have a conversation with South Carolina Public Radio's Maayan Schechter; and more!

On this episode of Speaking Of…College of Charleston we talk to Dr. Rénard Harris, associate professor of management in the School of Business. Dr. Harris is the host of Teachable Moments, a radio program about education topics for parents and students on South Carolina Public Radio.Teachable Moments airs every Friday at 6:44 a.m., 8:44 a.m., 1:33 p.m., and 4:48 p.m., but you can listen any time on South Carolina Public Radio.org or today.charleston.edu/podcast.Launched in April 2024, Teachable Moments covers topics that range from cell phones in the classroom to getting ready for college to teacher shortages. This is a great partnership between the College of Charleston and South Carolina Public Radio for many reasons, one of which is the opportunity to showcase the expertise of our faculty to the 315,000 weekly listeners across the state. “The College of Charleston is proud to partner with S.C. Public Radio on educational content that will inform and, maybe, even entertain its listeners,” says President Andrew Hsu. “Professor Harris is a gifted teacher-scholar and he can pack a lot in only a minute of instruction!”Dr. Harris says he loves hosting Teachable Moments because each episode is a conversation with the wider community. “It's not about high-end research. Nobody's going to get tested on it, nobody's going to fail, we're just having a conversation in the studio,” he says. “It's a teachable moment that hopefully inspires listeners to talk about with their neighbor, family and community and hopefully those discussions will make those spaces better.”Sean Birch, director of South Carolina public radio, says Teachable Moments aligns with their mission to keep South Carolinians informed and connected to the world around them in a way that's entertaining and accessible.  “Dr. Harris' energy and positivity – not to mention the tasty licks of his harmonica – are a natural fit for our public radio style. We are proud to partner with the whole College of Charleston team and look forward to growing our shared efforts in the future.”Featured on this episode:Dr. Rénard Harris is an Associate Professor of Management in the School of Business at the College of Charleston. He holds an Ed.D in teacher education. Since his time at the College of Charleston and several years prior, he has explored multicultural education, diversity, equity and inclusion, storytelling, cultural relevance and leadership. He is often called upon to serve as a keynote speaker, inclusion facilitator and consultant for businesses and educational institutions.Resources from this episode:·      S.C. Public Radio and the College of Charleston launches “Teachable Moments”·      Teachable Moments·      Teacher Shortages episode·      School of Buisness·      School of Education·      Rénard Harris Celebrates International Blues Day on Harmonica·      MTA's 'Music Under New York' program   

On this special episode of the South Carolina Lede, we bring you the premiere of South Carolina Public Radio's new history gameshow Who What When.

Saturday's South Carolina primary is a crucial test for former two-term Gov. Nikki Haley's effort to puncture former President Donald Trump's air of inevitability. Trump has big leads over Haley in both polling averages and the number of delegates already allocated. South Carolina Public Radio's Thelisha Eaddy joins John Yang from Haley's election night headquarters in Charleston to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Saturday's South Carolina primary is a crucial test for former two-term Gov. Nikki Haley's effort to puncture former President Donald Trump's air of inevitability. Trump has big leads over Haley in both polling averages and the number of delegates already allocated. South Carolina Public Radio's Thelisha Eaddy joins John Yang from Haley's election night headquarters in Charleston to discuss. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The “First in the South” Republican Presidential Primary is this Saturday in South Carolina. WABE politics reporters Rahul Bali and Sam Gringlas speak with South Carolina Public Radio's Maayan Schecter about the primary and more. Plus, a roundup of what's been happening at the Georgia Capitol.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The next state on the primary map is South Carolina, where Nikki Haley was raised and served as governor. But she faces an uphill climb against former President Trump. The state was also key to President Biden's victory in the 2020 primary and now could serve as a signal of his standing with Black voters nationwide. Amna Nawaz discussed more with South Carolina Public Radio's Thelisha Eaddy. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

The next state on the primary map is South Carolina, where Nikki Haley was raised and served as governor. But she faces an uphill climb against former President Trump. The state was also key to President Biden's victory in the 2020 primary and now could serve as a signal of his standing with Black voters nationwide. Amna Nawaz discussed more with South Carolina Public Radio's Thelisha Eaddy. PBS NewsHour is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

This episode of the South Carolina Lede for October 28, 2023 is dedicated to local elections and we take that deep dive with South Carolina Public Radio's Scott Morgan and his in-depth report on why turnout is so low in local elections.

Thomas O'Neil-White chats with Victoria Hansen, a reporter with South Carolina Public Radio, to discuss how the local media covered the Mother Emanuel AME shooting.

May 9, 2023 — On this episode, recorded in front of a live audience at South Carolina Public Radio's 50th Anniversary Open House event in Columbia, SC, host Gavin Jackson is joined by The AP's Jeffrey Collins and Meg Kinnard to discuss this year's state legislative session and the 2024 presidential race. Leave us a voicemail at 803-563-7169 to share your thoughts about the topics covered on the show or just whatever's on your mind!

March 4, 2023 — A listen to the first episode of South Carolina Public Radio's new podcast, InDebted, an exploration of why the Palmetto State is one of the worst places in the country for personal debt.

At the beginning of the pandemic, we published an episode about “how to be a backyard birder.”  Everybody was understandably freaking out, and we wanted to put something sweet, calming, and hopeful into the world.In that episode, we heard from ornithologist Dr. J. Drew Lanham, who shared some great tips for beginners, like what to watch and listen for, and how to make binoculars from toilet paper tubes. But what we didn't get into was Dr. Lanham's own remarkable story, including the moment when the humble chicken pulled him away from a life in the military and onto the path to ornithological stardom. This episode comes from our friends at Going Wild, with Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, a podcast from PBS that's more about the people that study wild animals than it is about the animals themselves.  Their latest season also includes the story of a shark researcher struggling with the whiteness of academia, a herpetologist who pushed to change the language of the field, and Dr. Rae-Wynn's own journey as a field researcher slash newly single mom.Featuring Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant and Dr. J. Drew Lanham. SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our FREE newsletter.Follow Outside/In on Instagram or Twitter, or join our private discussion group on Facebook LINKSRead “9 Rules for the Black Birdwatcher”, Dr. J. Drew Lanham's breakthrough piece for Orion Magazine. Listen to a South Carolina Public Radio interview with Dr. J. Drew Lanham after he won a MacArthur Fellowship.  CREDITS Outside/In is hosted by Nate Hegyi and produced by Taylor Quimby, Justine Paradis, Felix Poon, and Jessica Hunt. Going Wild is hosted by Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant. Production by Caroline Hadilaksono, Danielle Broza, Nathan Tobey, and Great Feeling Studios. Editing by Rachel Aronoff and Jakob Lewis. Sound design by Cariad Harmon.

"S" is for South Carolina Public Radio. South Carolina Public Radio (SCPR) originated as South Carolina Educational Television-Radio and began broadcasting in 1972 when WEPR (90.1) Greenville signed on the air.

October 11, 2022: We bring you special presentation of the first episode of South Carolina Public Radio's new podcast, "South of Spooky." Plus, we want to hear from you! Leave us a voicemail at 803-563-7169 to share your thoughts about the topics covered on the show or just whatever's on your mind!

Guest: DAN PIERCEIn this episode, you'll learn about moonshine history, how NASCAR emerged from the Prohibition Era and how moonshine runners' lives have an impact on today's world. Joseph is joined by our special guest Dan Pierce, he is a renowned author, columnist, and consultant. He earned degrees from WCU, the University of Alabama, and the University of Tennessee before becoming a history professor at UNC Asheville. Dan is an avid outdoorsman, passionate about NASCAR, moonshine history, Appalachian culture, environmental issues, and race relations. He lives with his family in Black Mountain, N.C. He joins us to talk about Tar Heel Lightning: How Secret Stills and Fast cars Made N.C. the Moonshine Capital of the World, NASCAR, and more.Don't miss this out!Tune in for this fun conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.SHOW NOTESSEGMENT 1Pierce grew up in West Asheville, and was born in Arkansas but moved at the age of 3. Father moved to pastor the Grace Baptist Church. Joseph discusses how he was born and grew up in Haywood County which is right next to Asheville but relocated to NYC and stayed for 27 years. Eventually, he moved back to Asheville because it's a great place. Joseph and Pierce discuss the nostalgia of their childhoods in Asheville comparing it to how it is currently. They discuss good changes such as the dining expansion and interesting changes such as seeing more wildlife up close to their homes.SEGMENT 2When asked about his dedication to being a teacher and writer Pierce responds by saying he arrived at wanting to be a teacher in his late teens. He liked kids as he ran a park and majored in education. Ironically he recalls himself as an awful student but had a widowed sixth-grade teacher who influenced him. She took him and another boy over the summer to Europe, and her kindness encouraged him to be an influential teacher as well. After becoming a coach in Nashville he ended up going back to school for a Ph.D. at 40 years old. At 45 he came out with a book, he enjoyed reading early on but couldn't imagine himself becoming a writer. With great mentors, he got grounded with discipline and mastered writing. He enjoyed his thesis as it surrounded him hanging around the Moonshine or a stock race. His second book is Real NASCAR, White Lightning, Red Clay, and Big Bill Frogs. The France Family were/still are the owners of NASCAR. Perce dives into the rough and aggressive origin of NASCAR.SEGMENT 3Moonshine helped NASCAR and now Joseph wants to discuss how the roles were reversible, in that NASCAR helped NC become the Moonshine Capital. When the federal excise tax was put in place in NC after the Civil War, there was always a tradition in NC to make whiskey and so they made it illegal to upkeep the tradition whilst avoiding the tax. This would still be a strong local option during the prohibition. This made it a great market for Moonshine to thrive and it became a “two-way street” when it came to NASCAR. Successful drivers realized they could make more money with Moonshine than by winning races. There was an economic emergency or young people would get started with work with Moonshine. It became a part of the culture where people accepted the fact that it was needed for people's livelihoods. Both Pierce and Joseph discuss how it's still a lively product as they both are often gifted Moonshine. Popcorn Sutton was the bad image painted onto Moonshiners, but Pierce describes them as entrepreneurs and smart. He also talks about how there were also African Americans, women, and Native Americans. A.A. was actually a step ahead of white folks with illegal handmade liquor.SEGMENT 4Pierce wrote many books about the Great Smokies National Park. One of the most popular books is, “ From Natural Habitats to Natural Parkings”. Another book was, “Moonshine and the Smokies, Corn from a Jar'' which sold the most. He also did a book on the Community of Hazel Creek in Swain County, which surrounds the long controversy about the road to nowhere. The most recent one was a collaboration with an old friend regarding the art of the Smokies, “Illustrated Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park”. Pierce also discusses his book about ​​NASCAR vs the merits of college football. He was in a debate on the South Carolina Public Radio on a series called Tell About the South. Hardy Jackson from Jacksonville State in Alabama argued for football and Pierce argued for NASCAR. He won a lifetime award, the “Western NC Historical Association Outstate Achievement Award''. Pierce is big on equal rights and racial diversity, he's leading a Railroad Incarcerated Committee to honor the forced labor of the 1870's inmates.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------TRANSCRIPT00:00:41.010 –> 00:00:43.320 Joseph McElroy: Welcome to the gateway to the smokies.00:00:43.320 –> 00:00:52.260 Joseph McElroy: podcast this podcast is about America's most business National Park, the great smoky mountains national park, and the surrounding towns.00:00:52.710 –> 00:01:01.470 Joseph McElroy: These areas are filled with natural beauty deep storied history and rich mountain cultures that we explore with weekly episodes.00:01:01.950 –> 00:01:10.440 Joseph McElroy: I'm Joseph Franklin McElroy man of the world, but also with deep roots in these mountains My family has lived in the great smokies for over 200 year.00:01:11.160 –> 00:01:18.540 Joseph McElroy: My businesses and travel, but my heart is in culture today we're going to talk about tar heel lightning talking past NASCAR and.00:01:19.080 –> 00:01:34.620 Joseph McElroy: and other mountain cultural touchstones with Dan Pierce, but first, our sponsors imagine a place evocative of motor courts of the past, yet modern and vibrant with a chic Appalachian feel.00:01:35.250 –> 00:01:46.650 Joseph McElroy: a place for adventure for relaxation imagine a place where you could fish in a mountain parent is trout stream real the catch on fire, and he accompanied by fine line or craft beer.00:01:47.340 –> 00:01:58.710 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place in the old-time music world cultural cell, there is no other place like the middle like motel Maggie valley you're a smoky mountain adventures start with where you stay.00:02:00.630 –> 00:02:12.780 Joseph McElroy: The smoky mountains and surrounding areas is a vacation destination for all seasons, some of the nation's best hiking trails waterfalls outdoor adventures and family entertainment can be found, right here.00:02:13.470 –> 00:02:32.130 Joseph McElroy: start your adventure by using smokies adventure calm at smokies plural adventure senior.com to explore all the wonderful features of the great smoky mountains National Park trails waterfalls kids Code, the elk, and more and check out all the awesome family attractions.00:02:34.050 –> 00:02:49.260 Joseph McElroy: slinky and interesting logical, it was facilities and entertainment, you and your entire family can enjoy the goal the smokies adventure calm is to be your meeting information source for adventures and experiences and the great smoky mountain.00:02:50.850 –> 00:02:59.880 Joseph McElroy: Some upcoming events, I want to tell you about on June 18 at 4 pm is part four of the heritage books series with Bob Bob.00:03:00.600 –> 00:03:11.790 Joseph McElroy: it's another informative and entertaining and fun afternoon of history, food, and music as a part of part four of our heritage book series, and its an award-winning author and.00:03:12.330 –> 00:03:15.930 Joseph McElroy: meadowlark smoky mountain heritage Center general manager Bob blog.00:03:16.620 –> 00:03:31.710 Joseph McElroy: Discussing his fourth book colorful characters the great smoky mountains and then these books, he leaves the library stories of vibrant and intriguing characters, such as the Cherokee chiefs you don't agus got okay Nice.00:03:32.490 –> 00:03:44.610 Joseph McElroy: Oh, can I should have gotten this before I got on the cocoa know stone soda sorry if I really I'm really butchered that they have dragon canoe and their allies such as john will watch, along with their combat.00:03:45.240 –> 00:03:57.210 Joseph McElroy: Robert Rogers quitting Kennedy King hailer the Stockbridge Mohicans Francis Marion and others and then there's modern-day icon such as von plot Charles matt Miller and URL and.00:03:57.900 –> 00:04:16.830 Joseph McElroy: there'll be a book signing and Barbecue dinner, as well as a evening of acoustic music by Michael Guthrie in France it's the Venice free to motel guests and heritage club Members but there's an admission charge $10 for are all of the people call eight to 89261717 to reserve your place.00:04:17.910 –> 00:04:33.270 Joseph McElroy: On July July night a mountain icon I the Iowa I a hatter is going to have a program called wild crafted and mothers nature natural guard and it starts on July 9 at 10 am and.00:04:34.380 –> 00:04:43.050 Joseph McElroy: it's a program featuring a legendary wildcrafting expert I had her and she was also a renowned author filmmaker instructor and tour guide.00:04:43.410 –> 00:04:49.410 Joseph McElroy: For the great smoky mountains National Park elite DSM field school education Program.00:04:49.920 –> 00:05:01.350 Joseph McElroy: She is an expert on edible plants medicinal herbs of anything pertaining to wild craft forging and Appalachians plant trees and flowers, she is going to give it a presentation on.00:05:01.860 –> 00:05:08.730 Joseph McElroy: On all sorts of stuff related to walk crafting and then she's actually going to take our the guests, and people are on.00:05:09.060 –> 00:05:24.510 Joseph McElroy: an adventure, on the grounds and the surrounding area to actually forge things and learn how to do it right your own backyard so costs eight to 89261717 to reserve your place is free for guests and heritage heard this club members and there's a $20.00:05:25.830 –> 00:05:27.960 Joseph McElroy: price per for admission for everybody else.00:05:29.700 –> 00:05:36.750 Joseph McElroy: And then on August six six there's going to be a chair the launch of cherokee heritage series with Davey art.00:05:38.280 –> 00:05:47.490 Joseph McElroy: Davey arts is a world-famous Cherokee tribal historic and award-winning craftsman of traditional Turkey crafts, specifically masks and baskets.00:05:47.880 –> 00:06:07.200 Joseph McElroy: And a beloved spokesman for the Eastern Cherokee tribe the event will be followed by a Barbecue dinner and music is $20 per guest and it's free for hotel guests call eight to 89261717 to reserve your seat now and for all events at the Meadowlark motel so.00:06:08.220 –> 00:06:16.110 Joseph McElroy: Today we're gonna be talking with Dan pierce, who is a renowned author columnist consultant who earned degrees from Western Carolina University.00:06:16.500 –> 00:06:22.380 Joseph McElroy: The University of Alabama and the University of Tennessee before becoming a history professor at unc Asheville.00:06:22.890 –> 00:06:36.090 Joseph McElroy: Dan is an avid outdoorsman passionate about NASCAR moonshine history Appalachian culture environmental issues and race relations, he lives with his family and black mountain North Carolina hello, Dan how are you doing.00:06:36.600 –> 00:06:37.980 Daniel Pierce: i'm good i'm good.00:06:38.280 –> 00:06:38.760 yeah.00:06:40.110 –> 00:06:43.680 Joseph McElroy: it's good to be here it's a little hot right now but we're getting over it right.00:06:44.130 –> 00:06:45.330 Daniel Pierce: Hopefully, hopefully.00:06:45.660 –> 00:06:52.860 Joseph McElroy: yeah so so like me euro you're a native Western or throw you grew up my sash all right.00:06:53.220 –> 00:07:04.560 Daniel Pierce: I did you know I hesitate call myself a native because I was born in Arkansas but, as I say, I got here as quickly as I could I was three when I.00:07:06.090 –> 00:07:17.100 Daniel Pierce: arrived in West Asheville I've always said, the good Lord i'm thankful to the good Lord for calling my dad to come to pastor the Grace Baptist Church in West Asheville, and so I grew up there.00:07:17.910 –> 00:07:28.590 Daniel Pierce: kind of an as I put it, a combination of Mayberry and a cotton mill town in will stifle at that time, which is not at all what West Asheville is today.00:07:28.680 –> 00:07:30.210 Joseph McElroy: I know it's changed a little bit.00:07:31.230 –> 00:07:32.190 Daniel Pierce: he's a little lot.00:07:33.570 –> 00:07:39.240 Joseph McElroy: Well, you know I just relocated with my family back you know I grew up in a wood county yeah right next to Asheville.00:07:39.660 –> 00:07:53.970 Joseph McElroy: My family's been in that county for over 200 years, so you know I got I was born and raised and all that sort of thing, but that has spent 27 years in New York City where my kids were born and I just reload your head the whole kit and caboodle back to Asheville so.00:07:56.280 –> 00:08:09.930 Joseph McElroy: it's you know it's a it's a great place to common yeah, as you can say, as you, as you mentioned this changed a lot, I think, in a positive way, but it was it was I thought it was pretty cool we were growing up what was it like growing up in West asheville.00:08:10.530 –> 00:08:21.870 Daniel Pierce: Well, like I said it was kind of a combination of Mayberry and cotton mill town, you know when and course we were very much free-range kids at the time, and you know ride our bikes all ever West asheville and Walt.00:08:23.190 –> 00:08:29.790 Daniel Pierce: You know I remember one particular Saturday bye buddy Steve Harris, and I just decided on the spur of the moment we'd walk despite.00:08:30.180 –> 00:08:38.550 Daniel Pierce: to the top of the mountain, which is out in the last area, so we walked out Lester highway and we we remind me, you know 1112 years old and and.00:08:39.210 –> 00:08:48.870 Daniel Pierce: Well, to the top of the mountain and back nobody knew, you know I mean it's probably I don't know 1015 miles when we walk that day, but that was the place, I grew up you.00:08:48.870 –> 00:08:49.650 Daniel Pierce: know I mean we.00:08:50.070 –> 00:08:51.510 Daniel Pierce: knew everybody and.00:08:53.400 –> 00:08:54.570 Daniel Pierce: pretty much and.00:08:55.770 –> 00:09:03.510 Daniel Pierce: It was just one of those kinds of neighborhoods so and the other great thing was being in western North Carolina and typically once.00:09:04.710 –> 00:09:09.150 Daniel Pierce: You got a little more mobile and wheels, you know we went to the mountains, a lot and.00:09:10.770 –> 00:09:16.830 Daniel Pierce: You know, we go the top of mountain play capture the flag and stuff like that a row rocks off the side of the mountain there.00:09:19.290 –> 00:09:26.340 Daniel Pierce: and go to swimming holes and all that kind of stuff so it was a great I didn't know at the time, but it was a great great place to grow.00:09:27.060 –> 00:09:35.460 Joseph McElroy: it's still good you know I I went right in our backyard so far we're North asheville right and we're on a real real wonderful street.00:09:35.880 –> 00:09:42.840 Joseph McElroy: You know, and our kids bike on the street, just like you, you, you know you remember, they were out there with other kids and.00:09:43.140 –> 00:09:56.430 Joseph McElroy: All you have to use your car and all the kids get off the road but it's not there's not really that much traffic but what's interesting is is that in the in the week that we've been here we've seen had a BlackBerry to deer in our backyard.00:09:57.510 –> 00:10:01.350 Joseph McElroy: which I don't really remember Asheville being that prevalent for big wildlife.00:10:01.650 –> 00:10:16.260 Daniel Pierce: yeah there were no turkeys there he never saw a bear unless you're in the smokies and their head was in a garbage can and you never solved there you know it was it's it's really one of the great changes recent well.00:10:17.700 –> 00:10:26.250 Daniel Pierce: I prefer to see bears a little less frequently in my yard actually one got up i've got my bird feeder strong about.00:10:26.940 –> 00:10:42.930 Daniel Pierce: 15 feet up off the ground and one of them figured out how to get up there and kind of twine the wire and got one of the bird feeders to bounce off today, so a lot we we saw i'm trying it the other day and I shot him with a bb gun I don't know if I can say that.00:10:43.200 –> 00:10:43.500 yeah.00:10:44.520 –> 00:10:45.420 Daniel Pierce: Is that legal.00:10:48.210 –> 00:10:51.090 Daniel Pierce: And scare them off, but he got my bird feeder today and I.00:10:51.090 –> 00:10:51.360 can't.00:10:54.270 –> 00:10:59.790 Joseph McElroy: bit bb guns and rocks over the thing back in the day and I think they're probably still could have their uses.00:11:02.700 –> 00:11:10.080 Joseph McElroy: So what do I think it's interesting you grew up in West Asheville it's changed a lot like you mentioned What would you think is the biggest change.00:11:10.950 –> 00:11:12.600 Daniel Pierce: Well, the real estate prices for.00:11:12.600 –> 00:11:13.890 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah.00:11:14.520 –> 00:11:21.090 Daniel Pierce: They were just talking about you know, is it going to be a million-dollar bungalow for sale and West Asheville soon you know it's.00:11:21.960 –> 00:11:37.920 Daniel Pierce: crazy, you know the House, it was very blue-collar when I when I grew up there, and, of course, you had the actual speedway down there having races and or or, as some people put it, you know what went to the fights and a race broke out, you know.00:11:40.710 –> 00:11:48.120 Daniel Pierce: Pretty rough place but you know and the and the only dining establishment really was the tasty diner you know and.00:11:49.470 –> 00:11:53.670 Daniel Pierce: Where you could go sit at the bar with jack ingram you know, is in the nascar hall of fame so.00:11:55.320 –> 00:11:59.820 Joseph McElroy: Great foodie place now man there's some great restaurants out there, look jargon right.00:12:00.240 –> 00:12:04.410 Daniel Pierce: Now those weren't there you know it's kind of one of those deals, you know I hear they're good.00:12:04.890 –> 00:12:05.490 Joseph McElroy: yeah.00:12:05.940 –> 00:12:07.350 Daniel Pierce: I don't get the West Eiffel much.00:12:09.450 –> 00:12:15.780 Joseph McElroy: jargon is good there's a there's a really great coffee place i'm drawing a blank on the name, right now, but then there's.00:12:16.740 –> 00:12:22.590 Joseph McElroy: You know the early girl is opened up West Asheville, which is a really good you have farm to table thing so.00:12:23.580 –> 00:12:35.580 Joseph McElroy: it's it's become a great place to go and pick up some really good food i'm telling you right now, everybody should go visit there and then they got the artsy sort of seeing going on and performance and things like that.00:12:36.240 –> 00:12:38.250 Joseph McElroy: And I read an interview that's.00:12:38.280 –> 00:12:41.190 Daniel Pierce: Not my day was the chili dog at the surfside.00:12:41.220 –> 00:12:41.910 Joseph McElroy: yeah right.00:12:42.570 –> 00:12:48.150 Joseph McElroy: Or, I remember driving back you know and we'd always stopped West actual at the denny's after being at the nightclub but.00:12:50.340 –> 00:13:06.270 Joseph McElroy: I don't see to be open anymore so ready very interview that she said something the effect that folks around that actually had no pretense that are they they are who they are take it or leave it I you know, do you feel that's that's the way they are now to.00:13:06.840 –> 00:13:09.240 Daniel Pierce: A it's hard to say yeah.00:13:09.240 –> 00:13:09.630 Right.00:13:11.280 –> 00:13:14.070 Daniel Pierce: it's a different I don't have as good a raid on.00:13:15.630 –> 00:13:20.190 Daniel Pierce: The recent arrivals as I did the folks I grew up with.00:13:21.510 –> 00:13:28.500 Joseph McElroy: was very true but I grew up the same thing, and I think that the people that are local here are, and I think it rubs off, I do think that people.00:13:28.890 –> 00:13:42.990 Joseph McElroy: come from different areas get a little bit let it get lost a little bit of the pretense and they become a little bit more authentic I mean not as authentic as yeah what we grew up with but yeah like you know, there was somebody that I read somewhere that.00:13:44.010 –> 00:13:55.920 Joseph McElroy: Nobody really has a fancy car asheville you know it's yeah everybody has you know sort of you know, work practical cars right.00:13:56.790 –> 00:14:01.440 Daniel Pierce: Well, mine is minus the truck with us still a possible bumper sticker on it.00:14:01.470 –> 00:14:07.320 Joseph McElroy: So I'm still I'm driving my dad's 1984 GMC truck so.00:14:09.900 –> 00:14:12.780 Joseph McElroy: To get this current gas moment i'm not driver that much.00:14:12.840 –> 00:14:13.230 yeah.00:14:14.430 –> 00:14:20.520 Joseph McElroy: hey listen, we have to take a break and we'll come back talk a little bit more about your history and then get into some of your books all right.00:14:20.850 –> 00:14:21.180 Daniel Pierce: All right.00:16:37.200 –> 00:16:50.490 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast my guest Dan Pierce so Dan you grew up in Asheville, then you left it to go get your bachelor's.00:16:51.570 –> 00:17:06.510 Joseph McElroy: vs bachelor of science at Western Carolyn Carolyn diversity and your masters of Alabama and then your PhD at the University of Tennessee and now Lo and behold, you are renowned writer and history, Professor did you always want to be a teacher and writer.00:17:08.310 –> 00:17:08.880 Daniel Pierce: well.00:17:10.050 –> 00:17:15.840 Daniel Pierce: A teacher, I think, was something I arrived at, you know in my late teens I worked at a.00:17:17.610 –> 00:17:30.030 Daniel Pierce: Had a partner program and Asheville and I ran apart for a couple of summers I like kids a lot and so ended up majoring in education, I taught fifth grade for three years and I had.00:17:31.740 –> 00:17:39.270 Daniel Pierce: kind of a weird experience educationally I was a horrible student I was kind of a noxious kid but I had a sixth-grade teacher That was really.00:17:40.200 –> 00:17:51.180 Daniel Pierce: inspiring she loved history and then a weird thing happened, where she was she was a widow she asked me if i'd like to go to Europe and so.00:17:52.230 –> 00:18:00.210 Daniel Pierce: Taking me the next summer after my seventh-grade year to Europe me and another 12-year-old boy, it was.00:18:00.750 –> 00:18:01.800 Joseph McElroy: A lot of studying.00:18:02.280 –> 00:18:02.760 Joseph McElroy: Oh, my God.00:18:02.940 –> 00:18:04.710 Joseph McElroy: yeah it changed your life.00:18:05.580 –> 00:18:18.300 Daniel Pierce: yeah really strange and then she ended up being my mom's best friend so in just a deer name is Steve Bennett and just a wonderful person so she kind of inspired me to teach and then I had a lot of bad examples I think that I learned from.00:18:21.420 –> 00:18:27.540 Daniel Pierce: about what not to do, and so I taught fifth-grade love that but was young single went to.00:18:28.650 –> 00:18:34.710 Daniel Pierce: pulled up and went to Alabama, which is a great experience for two years and got my masters and.00:18:35.790 –> 00:18:40.440 Daniel Pierce: kind of cast my lot with southern history, at that point.00:18:41.550 –> 00:18:52.410 Daniel Pierce: Then I got married and moved to Nashville Tennessee and taught high school for eight years and I was coach peers for that time and really enjoy that stage of my life but, but then decided.00:18:53.670 –> 00:18:56.670 Daniel Pierce: With the help of my life to go back for a PhD so.00:18:57.960 –> 00:19:06.540 Daniel Pierce: I finished my Ph.D. at about the age of 40 and so you know I kind of came this late in life and then.00:19:07.890 –> 00:19:08.790 Daniel Pierce: You know the first.00:19:10.440 –> 00:19:21.360 Daniel Pierce: The first book, I guess, I was 45 when the first book came out, so I really never imagined, you know I've always been an avid reader but I never imagined being a writer and then.00:19:23.010 –> 00:19:28.260 Daniel Pierce: I just had some great mentors in graduate school that simplify things for me writing was always.00:19:30.000 –> 00:19:43.230 Daniel Pierce: painful for me, and then they simplified things made it much easier and and and and taught me how to sit down and write in and so, then that you know that I don't know you know seven oh.00:19:43.590 –> 00:19:46.500 Joseph McElroy: Would you start writing before you came to unc actual.00:19:47.400 –> 00:19:52.740 Daniel Pierce: Well, I could have had to write a dissertation I had to do a master's thesis and dissertation and such.00:19:53.190 –> 00:19:55.260 Joseph McElroy: A good writing the books and so you got to do and CA.00:19:55.410 –> 00:20:01.950 Daniel Pierce: yeah well the dissertation became the first book, but I had to do some significant rewriting on it and.00:20:03.060 –> 00:20:19.800 Daniel Pierce: And I've been very fortunate to be the places where I've been where I've kind of been able to pick and choose what I wanted to do research on to write about so you know you know, I have a good time with it, so there are some people I know who hated their dissertation topic.00:20:19.800 –> 00:20:19.920 Joseph McElroy: and00:20:20.910 –> 00:20:26.310 Daniel Pierce: You know they hate their research but they're kind of stuck because of the requirements of their tenure whatever and.00:20:27.120 –> 00:20:36.510 Daniel Pierce: I've just been able to do what I want, so I have a good time and I get to do research by you know going hiking in the mountains or going to a stock car race or hanging out with moonshine are.00:20:36.510 –> 00:20:37.530 Joseph McElroy: not bad research.00:20:37.530 –> 00:20:41.670 Daniel Pierce: Right like that are traveling in the West, recently, you know.00:20:41.850 –> 00:20:49.590 Joseph McElroy: how did you get I don't know if it's lucky or whatever that actually get to come back to your hometown to be a professor for so long.00:20:49.860 –> 00:20:54.600 Daniel Pierce: It was totally accidental I was in graduate school finishing up and.00:20:55.950 –> 00:20:58.500 Daniel Pierce: One-year position opened up at marcell.00:20:59.730 –> 00:21:07.740 Daniel Pierce: University and did that, for a year and then I was fortunate enough to get a one year deal at unc asheville.00:21:08.880 –> 00:21:21.390 Daniel Pierce: And then I was fortunate enough to get a one-year deal at Western Carolina University and then I kind of adjunct it for a while and, finally, I think unc Asheville figured I wasn't going to go away and they finally hired me on the tenure track.00:21:22.590 –> 00:21:24.150 Daniel Pierce: Oh yeah and.00:21:24.480 –> 00:21:25.110 Joseph McElroy: She actually.00:21:25.140 –> 00:21:31.320 Joseph McElroy: A very interesting place you know we were we moved on right there right, so I paid attention to what you know I actually.00:21:31.740 –> 00:21:39.600 Joseph McElroy: You know I've been an artist I've been in some museums and things but yeah one of my first actually my first formal training in art.00:21:40.110 –> 00:21:48.780 Joseph McElroy: was at unc Asheville I mean I'd gone to do and then had a career in technology and I burned out for a little while and just sort of tooled around in my first formal training.00:21:49.230 –> 00:21:58.980 Joseph McElroy: of any sort of school was at unc Asheville before I moved on up North and went to other places, but so sort of fun for me to be live in there, you know it's.00:22:00.690 –> 00:22:08.970 Joseph McElroy: it's a great place that they're having something very soon that thing is interesting you're having a world-class conference called the idea festival.00:22:09.390 –> 00:22:09.930 Daniel Pierce: yeah.00:22:10.050 –> 00:22:10.950 Joseph McElroy: Pretty crazy right.00:22:11.190 –> 00:22:11.940 Daniel Pierce: yeah I got.00:22:15.660 –> 00:22:16.530 Daniel Pierce: yeah lots of.00:22:18.270 –> 00:22:20.610 Daniel Pierce: Speakers john meacham.00:22:21.450 –> 00:22:23.430 Joseph McElroy: My major people really.00:22:23.880 –> 00:22:29.850 Joseph McElroy: yeah I am in the middle of moving I'm still doing this, I can't go, but I probably go next year, it looks great.00:22:30.300 –> 00:22:47.580 Joseph McElroy: yeah so your books and articles cover a pretty wide range of subjects, all of them interested you already started mentioning them, but in 19 to 2010 you released real NASCAR white lightning red clay and bill big bill France was that your first book.00:22:48.300 –> 00:22:58.080 Daniel Pierce: Now that was the second, the first one was 10 years before that actually was my dissertation it was on it's called the great smokies from natural habitat to the national park and it's.00:22:59.130 –> 00:23:10.800 Daniel Pierce: That was one of the great smoky mountain National Park, so it kind of cast that's kind of been, I guess, if I have an area, you know for my books are related to the great smoky mountains so.00:23:12.030 –> 00:23:15.120 Joseph McElroy: He looks are your series on Nascar to and moonshine so you have.00:23:15.450 –> 00:23:15.900 yeah.00:23:18.360 –> 00:23:22.230 Daniel Pierce: yeah there's some overlap there, so I did the NASCAR book and then.00:23:23.310 –> 00:23:35.610 Daniel Pierce: A guy with the great smoky mountains, association, and editor there asked me to do a book on moonshine the smokies, and then that turned into a bigger book I'll moonshine in North Carolina so well.00:23:35.970 –> 00:23:39.390 Daniel Pierce: So they all kind of run together in kind of a weird way.00:23:40.230 –> 00:23:44.670 Joseph McElroy: Why why, why did you write a book on NASCAR, I will get what was their interest there.00:23:45.210 –> 00:23:55.230 Daniel Pierce: Well, the big thing I always you know I grew up and I put it within earshot of the what they call the new Asheville speedway or the or the river, which was kind of a leg.00:23:56.700 –> 00:24:00.840 Daniel Pierce: yeah dental Nam boy road and West Asheville and it was a big hang out.00:24:02.550 –> 00:24:14.580 Daniel Pierce: I was kind of well easily influenced by my brother my older brother and he was all about kind of living down your West Asheville roots and.00:24:14.940 –> 00:24:27.510 Daniel Pierce: and your redneck roots in and hanging out with the North Asheville kids and all that, so I always I never went to a race there, I never thought about we just didn't do that kind of thing you know Baptist preacher son and.00:24:27.900 –> 00:24:31.920 Daniel Pierce: and always kind of make fun of it, but then I had a roommate at Western.00:24:32.700 –> 00:24:36.810 Daniel Pierce: Western Carolina who was avid I mean he still is and.00:24:38.310 –> 00:24:47.520 Daniel Pierce: And he kept trying to get me to get a races and then finally right, as I was finishing up my PhD work at Tennessee he was living in East Tennessee.00:24:48.360 –> 00:24:56.400 Daniel Pierce: He said I got take it so got a couple of tickets to Bristol why don't you come to go with me, and so I thought well you can't call yourself a southern historian if you've.00:24:56.910 –> 00:24:57.600 Joseph McElroy: never been done.00:24:58.770 –> 00:25:06.930 Daniel Pierce: You know, and so that was 1994 and I went to my first race was night race at Bristol I don't have a clue about anything.00:25:07.860 –> 00:25:17.760 Daniel Pierce: the first thing he didn't say anything about how loud, it was and I didn't have any earplugs or anything I thought I was going to go deaf and so fortunately I had a strap on my sunglasses and I was able to stuff that my ears and.00:25:18.360 –> 00:25:31.530 Daniel Pierce: And, but the thing that got me, I think I mean the racing was incredible I mean it was just really exciting, but the thing that got me where the fans that just were unreal I mean just the past.00:25:32.190 –> 00:25:34.680 Daniel Pierce: fanatics yeah yeah there was a guy.00:25:35.040 –> 00:25:37.050 Joseph McElroy: What explains that popularity yeah.00:25:37.110 –> 00:25:41.250 Daniel Pierce: You know I don't know I don't see it as intense as it was at that.00:25:42.570 –> 00:25:58.980 Daniel Pierce: But it was intense and I'll never forget, there was a guy sitting in front of us and we were way up near the top and we're 100 rose up or more, and this guy was sitting if he had a big old cooler he brought he and I don't know how many beers he driving but.00:25:59.130 –> 00:26:13.560 Daniel Pierce: yeah but he would they at bristol's a half mile track so they're coming by every 16 1516 seconds this guy would stand up every time Dale Earnhardt's car came by and she didn't bark.00:26:14.820 –> 00:26:16.290 Joseph McElroy: Ah, so.00:26:16.650 –> 00:26:18.840 Joseph McElroy: If it goes a little bit like pro wrestling there they.00:26:21.300 –> 00:26:22.140 Joseph McElroy: Had a little bit of a.00:26:24.210 –> 00:26:27.450 Joseph McElroy: Of a character that represented yeah.00:26:27.510 –> 00:26:40.920 Daniel Pierce: yeah but I mean there was a lot of that kind of it was very almost a moral drama almost, particularly at that time Jeff Gordon was coming on the scene is kind of clean-cut California kid you know and here's Dale earnhardt this rough.00:26:42.150 –> 00:26:51.480 Daniel Pierce: A rough and tumble God worked in a cotton mill you know, and you know Greece under his fingernails kind of guy which is not necessarily true but.00:26:52.110 –> 00:26:52.710 Daniel Pierce: But he had.00:26:52.740 –> 00:26:57.660 Daniel Pierce: Any image, you know, and so it was great you know I mean it was just intense you know.00:26:58.080 –> 00:27:05.940 Joseph McElroy: The first big name in NASCAR was William Henry Getty Big Bill France well what was this what was his position on sports?00:27:06.120 –> 00:27:06.900 Daniel Pierce: way he was.00:27:07.440 –> 00:27:22.800 Daniel Pierce: The founder basically the order, I mean the France family it's unique and professional sports and that that nascar is owned by the France family still as a woman, by the France family and so his.00:27:26.790 –> 00:27:38.640 Daniel Pierce: His brother or his side, Jim France is pretty much the head of it now, but then his his grandchildren well Brian Francis kind of out of the picture now he ran it for a while a grandchild and.00:27:39.990 –> 00:27:50.040 Daniel Pierce: Lisa France Kennedy is has a big hand and so it's still a family run business and then he kind of ran it with a with an iron fist back in the day and course it was.00:27:50.160 –> 00:27:52.650 Joseph McElroy: Back in those days, it was all those guys were like.00:27:52.740 –> 00:27:55.680 Daniel Pierce: yeah I mean it was it was a pretty rough crowd you.00:27:55.680 –> 00:28:06.510 Daniel Pierce: know the you know there was a lot of those guys, you know got their first high speed driving experience behind about you know, a 39 for coop you know Holland liquor.00:28:06.840 –> 00:28:08.820 Daniel Pierce: yeah right somewhere so.00:28:08.820 –> 00:28:16.890 Joseph McElroy: trying to get trying to get the front end of one of those coops we got the moonshine room, I was well put it in there yeah so you know.00:28:17.460 –> 00:28:30.660 Joseph McElroy: I would take a break soon, but you have you declare at the end of that book I would humbly suggest this time for Nascar to stop modernizing tradition and start embracing his tradition what's the simple explanation of that statement.00:28:31.230 –> 00:28:41.790 Daniel Pierce: Well, you know they are kind of hidden from their moonshine roots they're doing a little bit more now, but I think they ought to embrace it, you know, I think that they it's a great story you.00:28:41.790 –> 00:28:42.060 know.00:28:43.290 –> 00:28:52.020 Daniel Pierce: These guys, who had nothing you know but we're very creative and entrepreneurial and aggressive you know, maybe.00:28:52.320 –> 00:29:03.420 Joseph McElroy: Some of my relatives ran yeah moonshine and now they had souped up cars man and the stories of them racing through the hills, to avoid revenue, or is there a pretty heritage right so.00:29:06.210 –> 00:29:12.300 Joseph McElroy: cool we got to take another break when I come back i'll talk a little bit more about moonshine and your book so matt.00:31:22.080 –> 00:31:29.610 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast my guest is Dan Pierce so Dan you know you.00:31:30.300 –> 00:31:34.350 Joseph McElroy: You wrote another book you've actually written a couple of books about moonshine you wrote another one.00:31:34.650 –> 00:31:51.240 Joseph McElroy: That combined NASCAR and moonshine called tar heel lightning how secret stills and fast cars mean North Carolina the moonshine capital, the world, so we talked about how moonshine helped nascar how did nascar fast cars make North Carolina the moonshine capital.00:31:52.020 –> 00:32:03.510 Daniel Pierce: Well it's a long story, but from the very beginning, when you know, making whiskey became la or illegal, that is, if you didn't pay the federal excise tax, and that was.00:32:05.220 –> 00:32:07.950 Daniel Pierce: Well, went into effect in North Carolina right after the civil war.00:32:09.060 –> 00:32:24.720 Daniel Pierce: North Carolina from the very beginning, you know, there was a long tradition of making making whiskey in North Carolina I mean going back to the earliest white settlers who brought that skill with them and brought their skills, with them perfectly legal activity.00:32:26.340 –> 00:32:28.380 Daniel Pierce: With few exceptions, up until then.00:32:29.580 –> 00:32:37.260 Daniel Pierce: And you know they weren't about to give it up, you know, and so it was too important of economic activity, they couldn't make any money if they.00:32:37.740 –> 00:32:48.330 Daniel Pierce: On it, if they pay the tax, and so they made it illegally and, and so it just became very much ingrained in North Carolina history and culture as hard as the.00:32:48.810 –> 00:32:56.730 Daniel Pierce: Federal Government and then went around the turn of the century, you started getting probation and then North Carolina became one of the first states to.00:32:58.350 –> 00:33:00.900 Daniel Pierce: To have statewide probation in 1909.00:33:01.920 –> 00:33:13.110 Daniel Pierce: And it's it's kind of interesting there's that that that dynamic with prohibition and moonshine that they really go hand in hand and part of the reason North Carolina was.00:33:14.010 –> 00:33:24.150 Daniel Pierce: Such moonshine was so important in North Carolina and so big in North Carolina was because probation was so strong and so.00:33:24.510 –> 00:33:24.780 Joseph McElroy: You know.00:33:24.990 –> 00:33:35.430 Daniel Pierce: After national you know you had national prohibition when that ended you still had local option in North Carolina and so most counties were dry well into the 60s and 70s and.00:33:36.000 –> 00:33:47.460 Daniel Pierce: Even still have some dry municipalities and stuff like that around the state but but, again, it was long time before you know, most people could buy.00:33:47.910 –> 00:34:01.920 Daniel Pierce: Legal liquor in this state, so there was a great market for moonshine which course fed into nascar, you know as kind of a you know, a two way street, there you know you had people who who became successful drivers who.00:34:03.000 –> 00:34:05.580 Daniel Pierce: figured out, they could make more money hauling liquor then they could win.00:34:08.250 –> 00:34:14.640 Joseph McElroy: or an economic, it was I mean it had a it was an economic boom for people in the mountains, even though it was also.00:34:15.120 –> 00:34:25.200 Joseph McElroy: devastating you know and a lot of social ills from it as well, but now it was like quick money right yeah there was you couldn't get loans you couldn't get anything else, but you could make money with moonshine right.00:34:25.680 –> 00:34:35.790 Daniel Pierce: yeah for a lot of people, it was kind of an insurance policy, and you know, most people were not career moonshiners you know they weren't your popcorn sutton's you know who.00:34:36.210 –> 00:34:43.200 Daniel Pierce: Who did it all their life, you know they did it, you know, and they were there was kind of an economic emergency or there or they're young they're you know they're kind of.00:34:44.460 –> 00:34:56.790 Daniel Pierce: You know, starting out so a lot of people, you know you know it's kind of funny you know you talk to people everybody says Oh well, you know I in my family, you know someone so holic or something like that and.00:34:57.270 –> 00:35:03.000 Daniel Pierce: And it was just a common thing you know for a lot of people, it was one of the few ways that you could get cash money.00:35:03.330 –> 00:35:06.120 Joseph McElroy: yeah yeah hard to get cash.00:35:06.150 –> 00:35:18.990 Daniel Pierce: Right cash money, and you know if you're willing to take the risk, and so you know for a lot of people, it was you know almost unexpected depend on the Community you're in you know is almost an expected thing you know and.00:35:20.400 –> 00:35:22.230 Daniel Pierce: And for a lot of people it wasn't great.00:35:22.710 –> 00:35:35.730 Daniel Pierce: You know, particularly in rural areas that when a great disability, you know the preacher might preach against it but, but the preacher understood to that you needed to do what you which could put shoes on your kid's feet and.00:35:38.700 –> 00:35:39.840 Daniel Pierce: and feed them and so.00:35:40.980 –> 00:35:43.320 Daniel Pierce: And the preacher also knew that he got.00:35:44.340 –> 00:35:47.700 Daniel Pierce: You know that money in the offering plate often came from laker money so.00:35:47.820 –> 00:35:58.800 Joseph McElroy: I listened to all the general stores loved it, because who bought word they buy the sugar where they buy that you know the components that fed the economy in general, so you know it was a.00:36:00.000 –> 00:36:09.840 Joseph McElroy: And then yeah you hadn't things different you wrote a book called corn from a jar which we actually carry here at the metal Arc that explored, a lot of these issues didn't it.00:36:10.770 –> 00:36:13.260 Daniel Pierce: yeah like specifically at the smokies but.00:36:14.400 –> 00:36:15.630 Daniel Pierce: Again, you know that's a.00:36:17.850 –> 00:36:18.150 You.00:36:19.410 –> 00:36:21.330 Joseph McElroy: Know moonshine is good for cough.00:36:21.600 –> 00:36:22.290 Daniel Pierce: Well, it is.00:36:24.900 –> 00:36:27.660 Daniel Pierce: I got a freezer full of it people keep giving it to him.00:36:28.710 –> 00:36:29.250 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah.00:36:29.310 –> 00:36:30.900 Daniel Pierce: we're still i'm pretty active.00:36:31.800 –> 00:36:39.990 Joseph McElroy: Oh man I get people showing up at the motel we have our pavilion we have like a will have a bluegrass festival or something man everybody's giving me boo chatting yeah.00:36:40.650 –> 00:36:41.340 So.00:36:42.570 –> 00:36:43.890 Daniel Pierce: I got a freezer full of it.00:36:44.370 –> 00:36:44.820 Joseph McElroy: yeah.00:36:45.600 –> 00:36:46.980 Daniel Pierce: I do need to go against it but.00:36:47.880 –> 00:36:53.640 Joseph McElroy: My dad you know here's a bunch of he probably still he used to eat popcorn he probably still have some popcorn.00:36:53.820 –> 00:36:57.330 Daniel Pierce: yeah well I think everybody has some purportedly.00:36:57.630 –> 00:37:01.200 Daniel Pierce: yeah a chat I've heard a lot of it, oh yeah I got some popcorn.00:37:03.960 –> 00:37:18.900 Joseph McElroy: So what's up you know, there was a lot of cultural representations of moonshiners and I think a lot of that you know was purposely you know denigrating people making them into bumpkins but what do you think is the side of moonshine that most people have never seen.00:37:19.680 –> 00:37:23.250 Daniel Pierce: Well, there guys, there are a lot of signs and that was what the book.00:37:26.070 –> 00:37:35.580 Daniel Pierce: Tar heel lighting is really bad it's kind of a lot complicating I guess the image, because if people's me to moonshiners kind of popcorn site, and you know.00:37:36.570 –> 00:37:46.500 Daniel Pierce: Guy with a beard and overalls and they'll truck and you know, in the file mouth, and you know and apparently popcorn was no dummy for sure and.00:37:48.360 –> 00:37:51.060 Daniel Pierce: But you know one they were.00:37:52.260 –> 00:37:58.410 Daniel Pierce: A lot of these people were very smart they were very entrepreneurial they were very skilled.00:38:00.360 –> 00:38:15.990 Daniel Pierce: have often talked about junior Johnson that famous car driver and car owner, but he, of course, got his start you know, in the family business, which was moonshine but I've often said about junior Johnson I think he's one of the smartest people he didn't come across is.00:38:17.040 –> 00:38:26.700 Daniel Pierce: Particularly intelligent, but he was one of the smartest people I've ever encountered often said he probably never read a physics book, but I think you could write one.00:38:29.160 –> 00:38:31.590 Daniel Pierce: A lot of these people were really smart The other thing was that.00:38:33.540 –> 00:38:50.700 Daniel Pierce: We had the same as the white mountain near and the fact of the matter is in North Carolina in particular and most of the South, it was all over I mean you know there are many coastal swap moonshiners is that we're mountain moonshiners you know lower in Piedmont, it was all over.00:38:51.930 –> 00:39:00.900 Daniel Pierce: And it was an end, and they weren't all fly there were a lot of native Americans particularly manga lambie down the eastern part of North Carolina.00:39:00.930 –> 00:39:03.450 Joseph McElroy: They sort of taught moonshiners about corners as.00:39:03.690 –> 00:39:04.530 Daniel Pierce: Well yeah you.00:39:05.550 –> 00:39:07.200 Daniel Pierce: Know actually the.00:39:08.190 –> 00:39:17.970 Daniel Pierce: The first moonshiners in North Carolina were African American and Native American because in the 1830s the legislature passed a law that said.00:39:19.140 –> 00:39:24.210 Daniel Pierce: said free persons of color could not make liquor or sell liquor.00:39:25.680 –> 00:39:30.570 Daniel Pierce: And so they were making it illegally before you know before white people were.00:39:31.140 –> 00:39:31.620 Joseph McElroy: made were used.00:39:31.770 –> 00:39:32.640 Daniel Pierce: to watch a nation.00:39:32.670 –> 00:39:36.120 Daniel Pierce: Plus, they were also traditions of slaves too.00:39:37.710 –> 00:39:43.290 Daniel Pierce: apply plantation distilleries using slave Labor so like a lot of African Americans knew how to make liquor.00:39:43.410 –> 00:39:44.640 Joseph McElroy: I knew very good.00:39:45.630 –> 00:39:51.360 Daniel Pierce: yeah, then the other thing I think that that's that kind of blows people's minds was the number of women involved.00:39:52.440 –> 00:39:55.350 Daniel Pierce: And that's just a fascinating story, you know.00:39:55.350 –> 00:39:57.930 Joseph McElroy: Especially on the brandy, they made from those that.00:39:57.990 –> 00:40:01.740 Joseph McElroy: moonshine right at it out yeah for things like.00:40:02.520 –> 00:40:17.370 Daniel Pierce: Well, if you had fruit trees, you know back in you know well before refrigeration became common if you had free trees, there was one reason why you did, and that was the to make brandy or apple jack or something.00:40:17.370 –> 00:40:19.590 Daniel Pierce: Like alcohol from it.00:40:21.570 –> 00:40:32.880 Daniel Pierce: Because you couldn't you know if you had a big orchard, I mean you couldn't preserve all that you couldn't get to market, but you could distill it and you could get that the market and it would really sale to.00:40:33.060 –> 00:40:44.790 Joseph McElroy: find the things that you can you know I just discovered, I can make me from hmi here at the motel and once we get our fortified wine and liquor license and I'm going to be making I'm gonna be making our own been.00:40:45.870 –> 00:40:47.730 Joseph McElroy: A tradition to figure out what you can.00:40:48.990 –> 00:40:50.700 Daniel Pierce: that's right, you have it handy.00:40:51.270 –> 00:40:56.700 Joseph McElroy: But you know I want to get to you know you said you'd wrote four books about the great smoky mountains and.00:40:58.350 –> 00:41:06.360 Joseph McElroy: You know, and I think the first one was natural habitat to national parks it seems you're a passionate environmentalist, can you tell us about this book?00:41:07.110 –> 00:41:15.060 Daniel Pierce: yeah well again it's on the establishment of the park and it's a yeah it's a great story, you know it's a unique story because.00:41:16.260 –> 00:41:18.240 Daniel Pierce: smokies and Shenandoah we're.00:41:19.650 –> 00:41:27.720 Daniel Pierce: Creating a unique way at that time and in the 1920s Congress said they would not purchase lands for national parks, all the national parks.00:41:28.440 –> 00:41:45.300 Daniel Pierce: Were were in the West, and they were in the federal domain, all you did was say to sign, basically, of which federal agencies managing it so, but the Congress wouldn't buy land for for national parks and so, but then they said, if the states will buy the land.00:41:47.070 –> 00:42:00.240 Daniel Pierce: And we approve this land is appropriate for national park, then, then the states can turn the land over to us and we'll make it a national park and so that's what happened, but it was a long slow process because they had to.00:42:02.550 –> 00:42:07.230 Daniel Pierce: They had raised the money to buy to buy the land, so they had private donations.00:42:09.990 –> 00:42:11.730 Daniel Pierce: They had state bonds and then.00:42:13.350 –> 00:42:21.180 Daniel Pierce: Finally, it was john D Rockefeller jr who who know $95 million to make it happen so.00:42:22.200 –> 00:42:23.700 Daniel Pierce: it's a unique thing so.00:42:26.520 –> 00:42:26.730 He.00:42:28.380 –> 00:42:31.140 Daniel Pierce: So people, the Western North Carolina and East Tennessee.00:42:32.190 –> 00:42:35.490 Daniel Pierce: feel a real sense of ownership about the.00:42:36.660 –> 00:42:36.990 Daniel Pierce: About.00:42:38.460 –> 00:42:40.680 Daniel Pierce: about the park that other places don't have.00:42:41.790 –> 00:42:47.640 Joseph McElroy: cool well you know we're good, I think we could take it that we could take a break, right now, and you get some more water and.00:42:49.770 –> 00:42:54.840 Joseph McElroy: And then we'll come back we'll talk more about some of your books and some of the other things that you've done in.00:42:56.640 –> 00:42:56.970 Daniel Pierce: Hello.00:45:00.630 –> 00:45:11.220 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcasts and my guest Dan peers so, then you wrote several books about the great smoky National Park.00:45:12.360 –> 00:45:19.410 Joseph McElroy: That, I mentioned the one that was really popular from natural habitat to national party what are some of the others that people might look up.00:45:20.790 –> 00:45:21.510 Daniel Pierce: Well, I did.00:45:22.470 –> 00:45:26.760 Daniel Pierce: yeah I did the one on been shot in the smokies corn from a jars part of the book that sold the most.00:45:27.090 –> 00:45:28.710 Daniel Pierce: yeah and.00:45:29.880 –> 00:45:40.020 Daniel Pierce: And then I did a book on Community of hazel creek and swine county which was displaced and then there was a long, long controversy about the road to nowhere.00:45:41.430 –> 00:45:45.420 Daniel Pierce: There in that in that county that was that was resolved, you know, maybe 10 years ago.00:45:46.680 –> 00:45:49.170 Daniel Pierce: Finally, after 50 years or so.00:45:50.220 –> 00:45:52.620 Daniel Pierce: And that's just a really interesting community and.00:45:54.990 –> 00:46:01.440 Daniel Pierce: And kind of a legendary Community it's kind of now it's more kind of a legend is a trout fishing destination, but.00:46:01.680 –> 00:46:02.640 Joseph McElroy: yeah good job fish.00:46:02.880 –> 00:46:03.960 Daniel Pierce: yeah yeah.00:46:05.310 –> 00:46:12.870 Daniel Pierce: And then the, the most recent when I did I can kind of see in the background, there i'll leave my head over is a poster by.00:46:13.920 –> 00:46:25.050 Daniel Pierce: an artist graphic card is by the name of Joe Anderson gentlemen, our friends, when I lived in nashville 30 years ago, and then we lost touch with one another and.00:46:27.300 –> 00:46:29.850 Daniel Pierce: He went on to a very successful career.00:46:31.050 –> 00:46:41.580 Daniel Pierce: Start his own company and and then he gave up basically its advertising business that just do poster art full time and he has an incredible business.00:46:42.330 –> 00:47:00.210 Daniel Pierce: is best selling posters or national park posters and so he did a book in 2016 for the for the hundredth anniversary National Park service on all the national parks and use this poster art in the sun did the text and so.00:47:01.320 –> 00:47:06.990 Daniel Pierce: I brought in you and CA to do a program about art and the national parks and.00:47:08.010 –> 00:47:27.090 Daniel Pierce: Over dinner, he asked me if I would be interested in doing a book with him and on the smokies, and so I said sure, and so we made about seven seven or eight trips into the smokies had some great adventures sell some really cool places it was it was so much fun to take him and his son.00:47:28.710 –> 00:47:32.730 Daniel Pierce: Around to see a lot of these places that had meant so much to me.00:47:33.840 –> 00:47:46.740 Daniel Pierce: And I learned a lot in the process, but anyway that turned into a book called the illustrated guide to the great smoky mountain National Park, and which is solving all the bookstores now, this is a great kind of coffee table book, so it was a real.00:47:46.740 –> 00:47:47.250 departure.00:47:48.630 –> 00:47:58.710 Daniel Pierce: And so that was that was so much fun and we had so much fun doing them trips together and all that you know and again, you know doing quote research in.00:48:00.720 –> 00:48:01.440 Daniel Pierce: The park and.00:48:02.340 –> 00:48:05.190 Daniel Pierce: Then that morphed into one that just came out.00:48:06.240 –> 00:48:15.540 Daniel Pierce: This is an illustrated guide to the to the grand circle of Arizona and utah and so its southern utah.00:48:16.650 –> 00:48:17.460 Joseph McElroy: niche itself.00:48:17.730 –> 00:48:18.330 yeah.00:48:19.620 –> 00:48:23.220 Daniel Pierce: yeah that was just out and, but that was so much fun we.00:48:26.040 –> 00:48:28.260 Joseph McElroy: had some fun books, I saw that you Co.00:48:28.260 –> 00:48:33.870 Joseph McElroy: wrote a book debating the merits of NASCAR versus college football in the south, so.00:48:35.340 –> 00:48:35.820 Joseph McElroy: How did that.00:48:37.620 –> 00:48:40.980 Joseph McElroy: come out about what was the conclusion.00:48:41.880 –> 00:48:44.250 Daniel Pierce: Well, I won, but.00:48:44.910 –> 00:48:48.690 Daniel Pierce: It was actually a debate, you know that was done on the.00:48:49.950 –> 00:49:04.380 Daniel Pierce: South Carolina public radio, which was broadcast all over I think a lot, it was it was a series called tell about the south, and it was you know they brought on to scholars to discuss or debate some issue so.00:49:05.640 –> 00:49:16.200 Daniel Pierce: So getting the party to Jackson who's was from Jacksonville state and Alabama did the football side, and I did the NASCAR side and so.00:49:17.520 –> 00:49:18.690 Daniel Pierce: I got whipped him but.00:49:19.470 –> 00:49:30.240 Joseph McElroy: Alright cool and then you what have you books and I didn't find out which one you tell me one the Western North Carolina historical association outstayed achievement award which one was the book.00:49:30.720 –> 00:49:35.040 Daniel Pierce: Well, that was just that achievement awards is kind of a lifetime achievement.00:49:35.070 –> 00:49:36.210 Joseph McElroy: Over the lifetime of cheese and.00:49:36.210 –> 00:49:37.530 Daniel Pierce: Whatever book yeah.00:49:37.980 –> 00:49:41.010 Joseph McElroy: yeah okay well it's it's it's Nice, I mean.00:49:41.250 –> 00:49:41.610 Daniel Pierce: you've got.00:49:41.700 –> 00:49:45.360 Joseph McElroy: Great titles I think it's really great, but I also think that.00:49:47.460 –> 00:49:52.530 Joseph McElroy: That you are, you are you're very passionate about eight equal rights and racial diversity.00:49:53.940 –> 00:50:11.730 Joseph McElroy: And you know, and you know our associate Bob plot, you know it is a mutual friend wrote about a great book about his son and about the story of wmc are the railroad the mercury branch railroad built almost entirely by conflict Labor contract Labor.00:50:14.910 –> 00:50:22.290 Joseph McElroy: And it was a brutally inhumane form of legalized slavery, supported by both political parties for two decades.00:50:22.620 –> 00:50:37.050 Joseph McElroy: yeah few people are aware of this and the sacrifice made people to open up w Western North Carolina to the outside world, you are leading a committee dedicated honor to these inmates the railroad incarcerated Committee, can you tell us about that.00:50:37.530 –> 00:50:40.200 Daniel Pierce: yeah so I live at ridgecrest which is.00:50:41.370 –> 00:50:45.720 Daniel Pierce: One of the most storied section of the railroad.00:50:46.770 –> 00:50:51.930 Daniel Pierce: And the big roadblock to building railroad into Western North Carolina was.00:50:53.370 –> 00:50:56.040 Daniel Pierce: What was called a sua know upgrade or.00:50:57.390 –> 00:51:01.800 Daniel Pierce: Or the mountain division, the railroad so it was so hard to.00:51:04.710 –> 00:51:14.700 Daniel Pierce: So it's about a Three Mile stretch as the crow flies but it's it's nine miles a railroad so it twists and turns up the mountain there are seven tunnels in that section.00:51:16.020 –> 00:51:20.670 Daniel Pierce: It took three years, using over 3000.00:51:22.080 –> 00:51:25.980 Daniel Pierce: incarcerated libraries in the in the north Carolina state penitentiary.00:51:27.210 –> 00:51:28.200 Joseph McElroy: Basically, slavery.00:51:29.040 –> 00:51:36.090 Daniel Pierce: Yes, and it was it was it was brutal and again they're using nitroglycerin it's very dangerous work.00:51:37.140 –> 00:51:39.450 Daniel Pierce: Their crap together in horrible conditions.00:51:42.630 –> 00:51:43.590 Daniel Pierce: And we know.00:51:45.060 –> 00:51:58.350 Daniel Pierce: From the records that at least 139 of these people died in the process and countless other injuries and you know you know, probably permanent injuries as well we just don't know.00:51:58.980 –> 00:52:00.840 Daniel Pierce: yeah but there was no.00:52:01.920 –> 00:52:15.720 Daniel Pierce: there's really no I mean there have been a few books written and some you know there's a little awareness, but there's no public recognition there's a and so a group of us.00:52:17.460 –> 00:52:31.950 Daniel Pierce: Actually kind of started on my front porch over breakfast with a friend of mine, whose name is Steve little and he's a lawyer and the Mayor of Marion North Carolina but a big railroad buff and he's been fascinated by this section a railroad since he was a kid.00:52:33.360 –> 00:52:40.410 Daniel Pierce: And so we put We contacted some folks and put together a committee of people from McDowell county and bumping county.00:52:42.240 –> 00:52:42.720 Daniel Pierce: To.00:52:43.800 –> 00:52:58.920 Daniel Pierce: build a memorial, and so it, you know it really we you know, put it was kinda like a little rascals you know we didn't really know what you're doing you know it's gonna let let's put on a show and but we didn't have a clue as to what we're doing, and so we just kind of.00:52:59.970 –> 00:53:18.600 Daniel Pierce: You know what one of our committee members put together a website and we just started contacting people and got some good publicity and Western North a lot of historical associations partner with us and we were able to put a you know, a donate now button on the thing and.00:53:20.100 –> 00:53:23.970 Daniel Pierce: They started coming in and for we knew it was OK, now we.00:53:24.390 –> 00:53:29.880 Joseph McElroy: We got the money you know a lot of people here remember the railroads back in the day and my great grandfather.00:53:31.170 –> 00:53:37.350 Joseph McElroy: was an engineer for the logging railroads and my man, that was a brutal brutal brutal business.00:53:37.470 –> 00:53:43.320 Joseph McElroy: yeah yeah and the slaves, the slave Labor prison Labor got the worst of it, so I think it's a good thing that you're doing.00:53:44.700 –> 00:53:47.820 Joseph McElroy: And I appreciate it, you know we're getting close to the end here.00:53:49.620 –> 00:54:01.200 Joseph McElroy: And I want you to have the opportunity to shout out anything we haven't mentioned or where people can look up your books or get in contact with you or however you want them to remember from this this this podcast.00:54:01.890 –> 00:54:10.860 Daniel Pierce: Well yeah i'm always looking for folks to check out, I would encourage folks to check out Anderson design group.00:54:11.460 –> 00:54:26.850 Daniel Pierce: Has a coffee table books and it's just an incredible site with all you know if you love the smokies and you want to have something on your wall is posters are just incredible and so I would encourage you to do that to patronize the park.00:54:28.020 –> 00:54:38.190 Daniel Pierce: gift shops that con lefty and in Bryson city and all over the great smoky mountain National Park I'm on there I'm on their board and so.00:54:39.240 –> 00:54:43.560 Daniel Pierce: Just leads, you know come back to the park in a great way and they sell my book, so.00:54:44.850 –> 00:54:46.350 Joseph McElroy: Are you on Facebook or anything?00:54:46.830 –> 00:54:47.130 Daniel Pierce: But.00:54:47.430 –> 00:54:48.690 Joseph McElroy: Are you on Facebook you.00:54:49.350 –> 00:54:54.360 Daniel Pierce: know you know I'm not I haven't done social media as well.00:54:55.350 –> 00:55:00.210 Daniel Pierce: Okay I've done in the past, but it just kind of eats up your life and so.00:55:01.800 –> 00:55:06.210 Daniel Pierce: And so I don't but, but I would also encourage folks to.00:55:09.030 –> 00:55:12.720 Daniel Pierce: check out rail rei l dot.org.00:55:13.950 –> 00:55:30.990 Daniel Pierce: Which is our website for the rail project, one of the really cool things just real quickly we've done recently is to bring in human remains detection dogs and ground penetrating radar and have located some mass graves.00:55:32.010 –> 00:55:43.650 Daniel Pierce: Which is is is sad and tragic but we're going to be able to, we are looking for funds to be able to mark those places and you know.00:55:44.730 –> 00:55:51.480 Daniel Pierce: do what we can and you know we can't bring those people back, but it's it's important to work I think so.00:55:51.630 –> 00:55:58.380 Joseph McElroy: Thank you so much for being on the show you know I enjoy the books that you read you're written and.00:55:58.860 –> 00:56:08.670 Joseph McElroy: I've read a little bit of the corner of the JAR and bring some others of yours, and I look forward to seeing what you do in the future, and now we should keep in touch, so thank you for being on the show.00:56:09.030 –> 00:56:10.350 Daniel Pierce: But enjoyed it thoroughly.00:56:11.580 –> 00:56:22.380 Joseph McElroy: This i

Justin Ballard is a meteorologist whose weather forecasts can be heard on South Carolina Public Radio. Ballard, who is a University of North Carolina at Charlotte alum, is based at the University of Florida in Gainesville. From there, he produces weather forecasts and storm coverage for WUFT-FM and WRUF-TV in Florida and also the South Carolina Emergency Information Network. He is also a mentor and teacher to meteorology students. On this week's episode of the Carolina Weather Group, Ballard talks about his job both in broadcast meteorology and also in the atmospheric science classroom. He also gives his thoughts on the upcoming tropical season, with the 2022 hurricane season starting on June 1. LEAVE A TIP: https://streamelements.com/carolinawxgroup/tip SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PODCAST: https://anchor.fm/carolinaweather SUPPORT US ON PATREON: https://patreon.com/carolinaweathergroup VISIT OUR WEBSITE: https://carolinaweathergroup.com The Carolina Weather Group operates a weekly talk show of the same name. Broadcasting each week from the Carolinas, the show is dedicated to covering weather, science, technology, and more with newsmakers from the field of atmospheric science. With co-hosts across both North Carolina and South Carolina, the show may closely feature both NC weather and SC weather, but the topics are universally enjoyable for any weather fan. Join us as we talk about weather, environment, the atmosphere, space travel, and all the technology that makes it possible. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/carolinaweather/message

The South Carolina Republican was a steadfast ally for Donald Trump in Congress, but he voted to impeach the former president after he experienced the attack on the Capitol. Now, Trump has endorsed a primary opponent. And Democrats contend with how to reform the Iowa caucuses after 2020's goat rodeo.This episode: White House correspondent Asma Khalid, senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro, South Carolina Public Radio reporter Victoria Hansen and Iowa Public Radio reporter Clay Masters.Connect:Email the show at nprpolitics@npr.orgJoin the NPR Politics Podcast Facebook Group.Subscribe to the NPR Politics Newsletter.Find and support your local public radio station.

Osei Chandler has served as host and volunteer producer of the reggae music program, Roots Musik Karamu, on South Carolina Public Radio, since 1979. This interview was recorded in April 2021. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patricia-bligen-jones/message

What is Southern Studies? What was it fifty years ago? And how has the study of the US South changed in half a century? To answer these questions, we talk with the doyen of Southern Studies at the University of South Carolina, Walter Edgar, Professor Emeritus of History and host of South Carolina Public Radio's wildly popular "Walter Edgar's Journal." Hosted by: Mark Smith

Every Saturday evening, more than 300,000 people drift away to the sounds of reggae, calypso, jazz, blues, gospel, and Juju. Controlling the airwaves is well-known radio deejay and community activist Osei Terry Chandler. Osei's radio show, Roots Musik Karamu on South Carolina Public Radio, is one of the longest-running radio shows in the country. The show has had a stronghold on music lovers since 1979. So ‘Let's Talk' with Osei Terry Chandler about music, social movements, and his signature voice.

This edition of the South Carolina Lede for March 6, 2021, features: a look at the state's continued COVID-19 vaccination efforts, including a ride along with host Gavin Jackson as he receives his first dose; a statehouse recap from South Carolina Public Radio's Russ McKinney; the latest on the COVID relief bill currently working its way through the US Senate; and more. We want to hear from you! Leave us a 1-minute long voicemail at 803-563-7169 to tell us how you’re coping with COVID-19, what your life is like in quarantine, and what are you watching, reading, and doing during this time of social distancing. You can keep up with the latest updates on COVID-19 in South Carolina on the SCETV coronavirus page here. You can subscribe to South Carolina Lede in Apple Podcasts , Google Play , and Stitcher . You can also follow the show on Instagram and Twitter .

On this special Thanksgiving South Carolina Lede mini pod, host Gavin Jackson and producer AT Shire listen to your voicemails, share how they're celebrating the holiday this year, and more! Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at the South Carolina Lede , South Carolina Public Radio, and SCETV!

I wrote in the newsletter a few weeks ago about this thing I saw with my kids when we were camping in the South Carolina Upstate. It was long and yellow and it moved like a slug, but it was shaped like a snake and it had a flattened sort of hammer head. It was horrifying. When we got home I wrote in to Rudy Mancke, who is sort of a legendary naturalist with a show on South Carolina Public Radio, and he informed it was a land planarian, an invasive species that probably got here on plants imported from Malaysia. I kept reading about this thing online, and every new detail was disturbing. Its mouth is its anus, it eats worms, and if you chop it in half it just becomes two planarians. Really gross stuff.Anyway it got me thinking about horror and beauty in the natural world, and how there is so much going on out there and there are so many creatures who probably never think about us either unless we happen to cross paths. And it prompted me to send an out-of-the-blue inquiry to Dr. Melissa Hughes, a professor in the biology department at the College of Charleston.She doesn't study land planarians. She mainly studies song sparrows and snapping shrimp, and she was very gracious with her time explaining these weird animals to an absolute layman. Her research focuses on animal behavior, communication, territorial aggression, and deception. I'm not a scientist, but I love talking to researchers like Dr. Hughes. I learned a lot, I came away with a new appreciation for animals I never thought much about, and I hope you enjoy this too. Let's talk about birds and shrimp for a little bit.If you would like to read some of Dr. Hughes’ writing, here are the two pieces we discussed from Scientific American:The Not-So-Simple Secret World of Song SparrowsHopeful Monsters and the Snapping ShrimpYou can find a list of her publications on Google Scholar.The field recordings in this episode were graciously provided by Dr. Hughes. All of the birdsongs came from a single male song sparrow.The episode art is a photo of a song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) in Battery Park, Newcastle, Delaware. It was uploaded by Flickr user Keith (Pheanix) with a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at brutalsouth.substack.com/subscribe

When it comes to elections there’s always a key voting bloc that gets the media attention. If candidate X wins the FILL IN THE BLANK they’ll win the election. Over the past few years, we’ve heard a lot about the Latino vote. The white working class vote. The suburban women vote. But a core constituency of the Democratic electorate, since Barack Obama was elected has not gotten the same level of attention: African Americans. Will this change before 2020? According to the strategists we talked to, if Democrats want to win back the White House, it better. Guests: Alicia Garza, a founder of the Black Lives Matter Global Network, and the head of the Black Futures Lab Bakari Sellers, former South Carolina state representative and a CNN contributor Thelisha Eaddy, South Carolina Public Radio reporter Theodore  R. Johnson, Senior Fellow at the Brennan Center Aimee Allison, founder of She the People

Founder, ETV Endowment; Executive Producer, South Carolinians in WW II Elaine Freeman founded the ETV Endowment from her dining room table. For over 40 years, the member organization has funded and supported programming on SCETV and South Carolina Public Radio. Freeman retired In 2008, after 31 years as executive director, but still remains active in support of programs such as South Carolinians in World War II and the Man and Moment series. Freeman is also a major force in the Spartanburg community. She headed the fundraising campaign for the Charles Lea Center board. Her vision helped establish the Ellen Hines Smith Girls’ Home, later merged as part of the Hope Center for Children. She believes there is a plan for your life. “With a little help from your family and friends, and the stewards you know, you can try to make your life count for something. I’m an octogenarian now and I’ve had a whole lot of fun with a lot of friends.” Her advice to young people : “Watch the people around

Who are some of South Carolina’s leading women in the fields of business, government, public service, and the arts? What was their personal journey to success and what common themes helped them develop a vision for achievement? South Carolina Public Radio and SCETV's Women Vision SC interview series spotlights these trailblazing women from across the Palmetto State. In this episode, host Linda O'Bryon speaks with former South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Hoefer Toal. Toal was the first woman to serve as a justice in the state and is one of the longest serving chief justices in South Carolina History.

This edition of Narrative features an interview with veterans Dan Stover and Sheldon Bullock. Stover served in the Marine Corps during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Bullock served in the Army during the First Gulf War in Iraq. As co-facilitators at The Big Red Barn in Blythewood, they help provide services for veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In a conversation recorded by South Carolina Public Radio, they discuss how PTSD has affected them personally, especially as they had to confront misconceptions about the disorder. More on this story... For many soldiers, the end of their tour of duty doesn’t mean the end of their battles. Around 11 to 20% of soldiers who fought in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom are diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD . Around 12% of soldiers who fought in Operation Desert Storm are diagnosed with PTSD. For those veterans, every day can seem like an uphill battle. (For additional statistics regarding PTSD,

Episode #15 and the final Public Media Daily for this week. Its now on your podcast feed so before you enjoy your weekend, highlights from Thursday, May 3rd include...1) NPR, WNYC Studios, 91.5 WBEZ Chicago and This American Life team up to buy the popular podcast app, Pocket Casts.2) 90.3 WPLN-FM Nashville wins 21 Tennessee Associated Press awards.3) 90.1 KUER-FM Salt Lake City has a new news director, Andrew Becker. Julia Ritchey will remain as Managing Editor.4) PBS has announced the hosts, stars and performers for this year's National Memorial Day Concert.5) South Carolina Public Radio has now added Reveal (CIR and PRX) on its "News" stations.6) 89.3 KCCU Lawton had problems but Lawton never lost NPR thanks to a low-power translator.7) NPR's All Things Considered turned 47 yesterday!Subscribe wherever you can find us including Apple Podcasts, The Short Orange, Podcast Addict, RadioPublic, iHeartRadio or everywhere else you prefer to listen. Leave us a rating and a review as well.Follow us on Twitter @PubMediaFans or visit PublicMediaFans.wordpress.com for more news and content.

This is Episode #14 of Public Media Daily, now available and ready for you to listen. If you don't catch up on public media, then thats okay. This is the podcast where you'll hear the latest news from inside the world of public media. Highlights from Wednesday, May 2nd include...1) Public Television will soon have a new interconnection system that'll probably provide programs between stations much cheaper. New Mexico PBS and KSPS-TV 7 Spokane are the test stations.2) KRWG-TV/FM Las Cruces, N.M. wins two-first place awards from the Society of Professional Journalists' Colorado chapter.3) South Carolina Public Radio is the best in Charleston, voted by readers of the Charleston City Paper.4) 90.3 WKMY Morehead, Ky. experienced problems yesterday and is not back until later today. Its webstream was down too so NO access to WMKY whatsoever.We're now on iHeartRadio too! The two biggest radio apps are TuneIn and iHeartRadio and this podcast is now on both! Subscribe there or on RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Player FM, Stitcher, Messy Bun or wherever else you prefer to listen to. Leave a rating and a review to help us grow.Follow us on Twitter @PubMediaFans or visit PublicMediaFans.wordpress.com for more news and content.

This edition of Narrative features an interview by Christian McBride , host of NPR’s Jazz Night in America . He had a conversation with South Carolina Public Radio’s own Shari Hutchinson , who produced Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz for more than 25 years. This year, March 20th, would have been McPartland’s 100th birthday. Here, Christian and Shari remember Marian as a musician, mentor, and friend. More of this interview will be broadcast on an upcoming episode of Jazz Night in America . Below is a bonus clip from the conversation, offering a behind-the-scenes story of a Piano Jazz session gone wrong. This weekend, Jazz Night in America will feature selections from Piano Jazz in honor of Marian McPartland’s centennial. You can hear the program on South Carolina Public Radio: March 17 at 9 pm on our New/Talk stations March 18 at 8 pm on our News/Music stations

Frank Dominguez reflects on WDAV's past and present coverage of the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, SC. Read Full Dispatch > As WDAV embarks on another season visiting the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, it’s inevitable to look back and reminisce. As the writer and producer of our blog posts and podcasts this year, I can’t help but remember my first visit to Spoleto in 2009. I had heard about the festival for years before that. My mother-in-law – a violinist and music teacher – made an annual pilgrimage to the Dock Street Theater for the chamber music series. But I had no idea about the breadth and scope of the festival until I began covering it for WDAV. In those days we had an entire team of hosts, producers, audio engineers and support staff gathering interviews, recording performances, and otherwise exploring the varied offerings of the festival. As you might imagine, the enterprise was expensive and proved impossible to sustain, and the festival staff struggled to accommodate our requests to record. So over time we scaled back our residency, and last year we didn’t visit at all, but continued to bring the festival to WDAV listeners through the excellent Spoleto Chamber Music Series produced by our colleagues at South Carolina Public Radio, and heard on WDAV Saturdays at 11 a.m. April through June. This year, however, we’re back, and with a slightly different approach: a series of previews, reviews and interviews focused on the current festival season, and available through our blog Of Note, and also through our WDAV Dispatch from Spoleto podcasts. I’m looking forward to sharing the sights and sounds with you, and we’ll still bring you past Spoleto performances through highlights played during our weekday programming, as well as the Saturday radio series. Let us know what you think about the new Spoleto Festival USA coverage on WDAV. Click on About the Station in the lower left corner of the home page, and then select Contact Us.

Following the New Hampshire Primary and subsequent Democratic debate, what the race for 2016 looks like in South Carolina and beyond. This episode: from South Carolina Public Radio, host Sam Sanders and campaign reporter Sarah McCammon, with congressional correspondent Susan Davis and editor Ron Elving in Washington. Find the team on Twitter @samsanders, @sarahmccammon, @DaviSusan, @NPRrelving, and at npr.org/politics — or email the show at nprpolitics@npr.org.