Dave Mistich Published

Poet Crystal Good discusses W.Va. through Quantum Physics

poet Crystal Good
Listen


West Virginia, its culture and people are in a state of superposition, says writer poet and Kanawha Valley native Crystal Good.

Charged by her Affrilachian poet peers to combine her thoughts and observations of West Virginia with principles of Quantum Physics, Good delivered a lecture at a TedxTalks event in Lewisburg in July. 

In an attempt to understand the state’s people, culture and history (and future), Good examines our complex nature:

"West Virginia, for example, is the Southern-most Northern-est and the Northern-most Southern-est state in the Eastern Time Zone. West Virginia isn't really even west of Virginia but kind of up and over. West Virginia was both Union and Confederate in the Civil War. Today, West Virginia is a democratic state that votes Republican. And West Virginia is a state sitting at the crossroads, teaming with billboards that read 'Coal Keeps the Lights On', yet we're one of the poorest states in the nation."

It’s through those dichotomies and the example of Schrödinger’s Cat, where Good argues that West Virginia can be viewed through the lens of Quantum Physics.

You can listen to Good’s interview with West Virginia Public Radio Broadcasting at the top of the page or stream a video of her TEDxTalk here: