Arts & Culture

Arts & Culture Bill Lynch +, About 21 hours ago

Appalachian Prison Book Project, Inside Appalachia

This week, Inside Appalachia, the Appalachian Prison Book Project has been sending books to incarcerated people for nearly 20 years. Its most popular book is the dictionary. Also, the Seeing Hand Association brings together people who are visually impaired to learn the craft of chair caning. And, crossing a river by ferry can be a special experience, and hard to come by. On the Ohio River, a retiring ferry captain passes the torch to his deck hand.

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Arts & Culture Eric Douglas, May. 22, 2025

Vandalia Gathering Launches Unofficial Start Of Summer

The Vandalia Gathering has been going on for nearly 50 years with a mixture of music, arts, storytelling and dance. People come from all over the region to enjoy the entertainment on the state capitol grounds. Admission is free.

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Arts & Culture Bill Lynch, May. 21, 2025

Tips On Telling A Good Lie

Appalachian storyteller W.I. “Bill” Hairston gives advice for contestants in the popular Vandalia Gathering Liars Contest.

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Arts & Culture Mason Adams, May. 19, 2025

Novel Shares Story Of Historical Black Kingdom In Western North Carolina

Following the American Civil War, a group of freed people fled violence and bought land in Western North Carolina. In the summer of 1873, these people formed a Black communal society they named “The Kingdom of the Happy Land.” A new novel tells a story set in the kingdom, both in the past and in the present day. It’s titled, “Happy Land.” Host Mason Adams spoke with its author, Dolen Perkins-Valdez.

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Recent Stories

Arts & Culture Bill Lynch +, May. 16, 2025

The Kingdom Of The Happy Land, Inside Appalachia

This week on Inside Appalachia, the setting for a new novel is a communal society founded by freed people in North Carolina. It was a real place called The Kingdom of the Happy Land. Also, when a West Virginia pastor got assigned to a new church, some folks tried to warn him. And, the online world of Appalachian memes — and what they tell us about folks who live here.

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Arts & Culture Mallory Richards, May. 15, 2025