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"Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire" is a young adult novel set in Appalachia. Written by West Virginia native Don Martin, the book follows the story of a witch-in-training who uses her magic to help a forgotten mountain coal town. It was an instant New York Times bestseller after it was released last year. Inside Appalachia Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Martin about the book and his podcast "Head on Fire."
Chuck Prophet performing on Mountain Stage in November 2020. The show was recorded without an audience at the Culture Center Theater and offered live via NPR Music Live Sessions. BRIAN BLAUSER
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This week’s encore broadcast was the first episode we released after halting production due to the pandemic in March of 2020. On November 1, 2020, we welcomed Chuck Prophet with Stephanie Finch, Kim Richey, S.G. Goodman, and Sierra Ferrell to Charleston, W.Va. to record at the Culture Center Theater with no audience, under strict safety protocols. The results are hitting airwaves starting Friday on NPR stations.
San Francisco rock and roller Chuck Prophet and his partner Stephanie Finch are joined by the Mountain Stage Band throughout their set, including our Song of the Week, “Marathon.”
The song appears on Prophet’s most recent Yep Roc release The Land That Time Forgot. Tune in starting Friday, November 26 for the entire set.
Chuck Prophet-Marathon 2020
Rec. 11/1/20, Charleston, WV
1 of 5 — S.G. Goodman
S.G. Goodman and her band jumped the Kentucky border to make some music in W.Va. last November.
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2 of 5 — Kim Richey
Kim Richey has made six appearances on Mountain Stage since 1997.
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3 of 5 — A sign of the times
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4 of 5 — There's a stream…
While this episode was recorded without a live audience, fans streamed the show from the comfort of their homes all around the world thanks to WVPB’s video production team.
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5 of 5 — Sierra Ferrell
Hometown gal Sierra Ferrell made her Mountain Stage debut in November of 2020.
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We also hear Nashville’s Kim Richey, who brought with her songs from A Long Way Back…the songs of Glimmer, in which she reimagines tunes from her 1999 album Glimmer. She even asked Chuck Prophet, a regular collaborator of hers, to join in on her set. We hear songs from western Kentucky’s S.G. Goodman, whose album Old Time Feeling was released last year to critical acclaim. We’re also proud to welcome West Virginia native Sierra Ferrell and her trio to Mountain Stage for the first time. Ferrell’s debut single “Jeremiah/ Why’d Ya Do It,” was released on Rounder Records in 2020.
"Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire" is a young adult novel set in Appalachia. Written by West Virginia native Don Martin, the book follows the story of a witch-in-training who uses her magic to help a forgotten mountain coal town. It was an instant New York Times bestseller after it was released last year. Inside Appalachia Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Martin about the book and his podcast "Head on Fire."
This week, having a very specific talent can lead to a dream job. It’s how cartoonist John Rose got his foot in the door to draw the comic strip Snuffy Smith. Also, there are dos and don’ts for treating poison ivy. And, a young, old-time musician wants to save her family’s lost ballads.
For nearly 100 years, Snuffy Smith has been a staple of newspaper comic pages, though these days, it’s easier to find him online. Snuffy Smith was brought to life by artist Fred Lasswell in the 1930s, but now the strip is written and drawn by John Rose, who lives in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Inside Appalachia host Mason Adams spoke to Rose about drawing the famous hillbilly.
Shepherdstown chef Mary Ellen Diaz, head chef of restaurant Alma Bea in Shepherdstown, is a finalist for the 2026 James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southeast.
