Posts Tagged ‘Appalachian Culture’
Self-publishing: A Modern Avenue for Appalachian Authors
By Dac Collins Self-publishing is on the rise in today’s progressive literary scene, and quite a few writers in Appalachia have foregone the traditional process of submitting their work to publishers in favor of publishing it themselves. Julie E. Calestro-McDonald and Peggy Calestro self-published “Lost and Found in Appalachia” with the help of the CreateSpace…
Read MoreThe Girls of Atomic City
The Untold Story of Women Who Helped Win World War II By Denise Kiernan Back when African Americans and Caucasian Americans couldn’t drink from the same water fountains and women were an anomaly in the workforce, a team of young women unknowingly helped enrich fuel for the world’s first atomic bomb in the hills of…
Read MoreAppalachian Toys and Games from A to Z
By Linda Hager Pack and Pat Banks This colorful and educational book teaches children about a simpler time when dolls were made out of corn husks and apples, and games relied more on imagination than electricity. With the help of Pat Banks’ watercolor illustrations, Linda Hager Pack introduces some of the games that were played…
Read MoreThe Secret Wisdom of the Earth
The debut novel by Christopher Scotton is a coming-of-age story that takes familiar themes — tragedy and the quest to find healing — and explores them with the backdrop of a central Appalachian community beset by mountaintop removal coal mining.
Read MoreJoe Potato’s Real Life Recipes
Rooted in rural Appalachia, these tales feature animals, humans and plants that celebrate country living while being brave — or perhaps stubborn — enough to stand unflinching in the face of hardscrabble realities.
Read MoreAn interview with Christopher Scotton, author of “Secret Wisdom of the Earth”
From The Appalachian Voice Online: “Secret Wisdom of the Earth,” the debut novel by Christopher Scotton released this week, is a coming-of-age story that takes familiar themes — tragedy and the quest to find healing — and explores them with the backdrop of a Central Appalachian community beset by mountaintop removal coal mining.
Breaking Boundaries: Contemporary Appalachian Art
No solid boundaries define the work of contemporary Appalachian artists. Some pull from the narratives and imagery embedded in the region’s landscape and culture, while others reject tradition and embrace globalized approaches to their work. Yet what unites all of these artists are the stories they each hold, waiting to be told.
Read MoreHanding Off and Holding On: Melungeon Identity and Appalachia
By Kimber Ray Attempting to trace the origin of the Melungeon people is akin to pursuing the source of the Cumberland River coursing through their historical territory. Like the waters of the Cumberland Gap, where neighboring streams weave through Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia to meet among the rolling crests of the Appalachian Mountains, the Melungeons…
Read MoreWhitewashing Reality: Diversity in Appalachia
By Rachel Ellen Simon The United States may be thought of as the good ol’ “Red, White, and Blue,” but in the minds of many, Appalachian America is simply “white, white, white” — racially, that is. The stereotype of Appalachia as a strictly white Anglo-Saxon region has been perpetuated by journalists, novelists, social scientists, and…
Read MoreRalph Davis: Exploring Appalachia’s Future
By Nolen Nychay In his 21 years of journalistic work at publications such as the Jackson County Sun, Paintsville Herald and Floyd County Times, Ralph Davis developed a close relationship with the small communities of eastern Kentucky and the rural lifestyle the region prides itself on. When Davis began work on his master’s thesis in…
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