Encore: Ohio's Ancient Earthworks And Ballad Singing After Hurricane Helene, Inside Appalachia

This week, ballads tell stories about all kinds of real-life events, but after Hurricane Helene, one group of ballad singers felt some topics were still too raw. Also, the author of a book on ancient Ohio credits a former grad student with introducing him to the region’s mysterious earthworks. And, the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan includes a summer camp for teens to study their heritage.

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Arts & Culture Mason Adams +, Oct. 05, 2026

How Ballroom Culture Arrived In Roanoke, Virginia

For LGBTQ youth in Appalachia, estrangement from their families of origin can be a common and heartbreaking experience. So, some LGBTQ people rely on “chosen family." In Roanoke, Virginia, the culture of ballroom offers the safety and stability of family, along with traditions that are handed down — traditions like vogueing. Mason Adams reported this Folkways story, in collaboration with Brad Kutner and Kelley Libby.

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Arts & Culture Bill Lynch +, Oct. 02, 2026

Ballroom Culture And Hometown Papers Covering The Notable, Inside Appalachia

This week, ballroom culture offers LBGTQ folks a chance to be as fabulous as they want to be. Also, national media reports on the deaths of notable people, but small, hometown papers add a more personal touch. And, alpha-gal syndrome takes red meat off the menu, but what about ostrich?

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Arts & Culture WVPB Staff, Oct. 02, 2026

A Look At LGBTQ Ballroom Culture, This West Virginia Morning

A specific style of ballroom dance is helping disenfranchised young people find community in Appalachia. In our latest episode of Inside Appalachia, we explore LGBTQ ballroom culture and community in Roanoke, Virginia. Mason Adams has this excerpt.

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Government Trey Kay +, Sep. 24, 2026

Us & Them: Dinner Party — Charleston 2026

With the midterm elections approaching, Us & Them is taking the Dinner Party on the road to a trio of communities across West Virginia. In the first of our three gatherings this fall, host Trey Kay is back in Charleston bringing together conservative and liberal West Virginians to share a potluck meal, talk politics and see whether conversation across the divide can uncover some common ground.

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Recent Stories

Arts & Culture Jack Walker, Jul. 21, 2025

Author Of New Book Profiling Trans Teens Visiting Charleston This Month

The ACLU and Plot Twist Books have invited journalist and author Nico Lang to the South Charleston Public Library on July 26. Lang recently wrote "American Teenager," a book following the lives of eight trans teens across the U.S.

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Arts & Culture Jack Walker, Jun. 09, 2025