2008 – Issue 2 (March)

Lockjaw by Holly Farris Gival Press, Arlington, VA The language is fresh, the stories stimulating. Holly Farris’s first short story collection, Lockjaw, offers poignant glimpses into the interior lives of an array of diverse characters that linger in the reader’s mind. Her Appalachian narrators, though deeply rooted in Southwest Virginia, exhibit characteristics universally human. As…

By Keith Deel By the sweat of their brows and the strength of their backs, settlers built a life in Appalachia. Few reminders of their struggles remain, but one is the Matthews Living History Museum, located outside of Galax, VA. It gives a glimpse into the lives of the citizens of Grayson County from 1880…

Labeling coal fired electric power “immoral and destructive,” sixty religious leaders called on Virginia governor Tim Kaine to drop any support for a proposed power plant in Wise County. The religious leaders included Jewish, Protestant and Catholic leaders from all around Virginia. Among them were Bishop Charlene Kammerer of the Virginia Conference of the United…

Protests against coal fired power plants continue around the region. In early March, students from around the country attending Mountain Justice Spring Break marched to the regional offices of the Virginia state environmental agency in Abingdon, VA to oppose the coal plant proposed for St. Paul, VA by Dominion. They were greeted with supportive horn…

Although the statements and sermons rarely grab headlines, religious leaders in Appalachia and throughout the world are becoming increasingly concerned about the moral dimensions of coal mining, climate change and environmental stewardship. In March, 2008, leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Nashville said that Baptists have a moral responsibility to combat climate change.…

A twenty year battle to preserve the site of the historic Blair Mountain miners uprising is ending with a victory for labor and the environment. In a hearing February 22, the West Virginia Archives and History Commission gave its unanimous final recommendation for the preservation of 1600 acres of the Blair Mountain Battlefield as a…

Nothing matches it in the history of baseball, if the visting players’ lineup is any clue: • Bill Blizzard. Right field. Treason, murder. • Cecil Sullivan. First base. Murder. • Okey Burgess. Second base. Murder. • W. Lacey. Third base. Treason. • Okey Johnson. Pitcher. Treason • Joe Rhodes. Shortstop. Murder. • A.C. McCormik. Left…

Their motto: from field to table. In the case of agricultural work, this means the food that goes on the table. For the logging and forestry portion of the enterprise, it means the table itself. Appalachian Sustainable Development first came together in 1995 to address the question of jobs versus environment, and the solutions that…