W.Va. Author Explores The Natural World In New Book

Writer Sheila McEntee has been observing nature for most of her life, especially birds. She’s published essays about her experiences in Stonecrop Review, Woods Reader and Wonderful West Virginia magazine. Several of these essays have been collected for McEntee’s first book. It’s titled, "Soul Friend: And Other Love Notes to the Natural World." Bill Lynch spoke with McEntee about writing and developing an interest in nature.

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Arts & Culture Bill Lynch +, Aug. 15, 2025

Sheila McEntee, Ancient Kilns And Amythyst Kiah, Inside Appalachia

This week, in troubled times, the outdoors can offer peace. We talk with a West Virginia writer about her new collection of essays. Also, modern technology makes firing pottery a lot easier, but some potters in North Carolina still do it the old way. And, East Tennessee’s Amythyst Kiah’s latest album contemplates the cosmos.

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Arts & Culture Bill Lynch +, Aug. 08, 2025

The Appalachian Comics Project, Inside Appalachia

This week, after a disaster, can comics help set the record straight? Also, in Western North Carolina, a new generation of Cherokee potters are keeping old traditions, while shaping a modern practice all their own. And, schoolyard games come and go, but for kids in one community, marbles still rule.

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Arts & Culture Bill Lynch +, Jul. 04, 2025

Mental Health Crisis Response And Mountain Valley Pipeline, Inside Appalachia

This week, people with mental health challenges or substance use disorder often end up in jail. But crisis response teams offer another way. Also, one year after the Mountain Valley Pipeline went into service, people who live directly in the pipeline’s path have received compensation. But not everyone. And, the Sacred Harp songbook gets an update for the first time since the early 1990s.

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Arts & Culture Bill Lynch +, Jan. 04, 2025

Encore: What Is Appalachia? We Asked People From Around The Region. Here’s What They Said

This week, we’re revisiting our episode “What Is Appalachia?” from December 2021. Appalachia connects mountainous parts of the South, the Midwest, the Rust belt and even the Northeast. The Appalachian Regional Commission defined the boundaries for A...

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Arts & Culture Bill Lynch +, Dec. 28, 2024

Looking Back At 2024, Inside Appalachia

This week on Inside Appalachia, a look back at some of the stories that shaped the show in 2024, like the story of an abandoned Fairmont Brine site in Marion County, West Virginia. It was a common hangout spot, but there’s a hidden danger. Also, food deserts are places where it’s hard to find nutritious food. Like disenfranchised neighborhoods in East Knoxville, TN. And, not all bamboo is invasive. In fact, there’s a species native to Appalachia.

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Arts & Culture Bill Lynch +, Dec. 14, 2024

Appalachian Memes And Trouble At Greenbank

This week on Inside Appalachia, the online world of Appalachian memes — and what they tell us about folks who live here. Also, parts of West Virginia have been radio silent since the 1950s for scientists to monitor the skies. So, what does that mean for first responders in an emergency? And winter holidays are here. We’ve got some tips to keep the festivities from going up in smoke.

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