Folkways

Printmaking Inspired By Appalachian Stories, Inside Appalachia

This week, some of the stories on our show inspired college student art — including a vivid image of a bear smashing a clarinet. Also, a Hare Krishna community in West Virginia serves vegetarian food made in three sacred kitchens. And, COVID-19 exposed the contempt society has for marginalized people. One author says, these folks are anything but passive. 

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A Secret City In East Tennessee, Inside Appalachia

This week, we take a look at how the U.S. government built a secret city in East Tennessee during World War II to work on the atomic bomb. Also, almost everybody has a favorite cup or coffee mug, but how far would you go to replace it? And, we hear from a cabinetmaker on the physicality of poetry.

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Encore: True Stories Behind Folk Heroes, Runaway Trains And Murder Ballads, Inside Appalachia

This week, on this special episode with guest co-host, ballad singer Saro Lynch-Thomason, we explore songs about lawbreaking folk heroes, runaway trains and murder ballads.

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Virginia Playwright Brought 'Jack Tales' To Hundreds Of Thousands

Rex Stephenson, a theater professor at Ferrum College at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, has died at the age of 81. He was best known for telling Jack Tales, in performances that mixed drama, humor, and musical performances to entertain and engage their audiences.

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