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This week, we visit a summer camp that’s part of the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan.
Also, during the Great Depression, Osage, West Virginia was a raucous river town. It’s sleepier now, but music is keeping the magic alive.
And, the author of an upcoming graphic novel about pipeline fighters has a message for people outside the region.
You’ll hear this story and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
In This Episode:
Affrilachian poet and playwright Norman Jordan is one of the most published poets in the region. Born in 1938, his works have been anthologized in over 40 books of poetry. He was also a prominent voice in the Black Arts Movement in the 1960s and 70s. He died in 2015, put part of his legacy is the Norman Jordan African American Arts and Heritage Academy in West Virginia.
Folkways Reporter Traci Phillips has the story.
Just across the Monongahela River from Morgantown, West Virginia, is a small unincorporated community called Osage. Years ago, it was a bustling, industrial town with a thriving nightlife. Today, Osage isn’t quite so bustling, but the love of music endures among its residents. Residents like musician Aristotle Jones.
Last year, Folkways Reporter Clara Haizlett brought us this story.
The 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline from West Virginia to Virginia took 10 years to complete. Author Denali Sai Nalamalapu was part of the protests to stop the pipeline. They have a new book, called HOLLER: A Graphic Memoir of Rural Resistance. It’s written and drawn in comics form and profiles six activists who fought the pipeline.
Mason Adams spoke with Nalamalapu.
Wildfires seem to be getting worse — not just out West, but here in Appalachia, too. Erica Smithwick is a professor and fire expert at Pennsylvania State University.
Inside Appalachia Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Smithwick about what causes wildfires and how people can prepare.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr., The Carpenter Ants, Aristotle Jones, Morgan Wade, The Dirty River Boys and John Blissard.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our Executive Producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our Audio Mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from Folkways editors Clara Haizlett and Nicole Musgrave.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
You can find us on Instagram, Threads and X @InAppalachia. Or here on Facebook.
Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
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On this West Virginia Week, plans for a new transmission line may be in trouble, a former state delegate is indicted, and the state has a new secretary of tourism.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsThis week, a new report finds the number of black lung cases is at its highest since the 1970s. The human cost is high. Also, the author of a new book says reintroducing nearly extinct animals back into the wild can boost damaged ecosystems, but they can't repair them. And, roadside attractions pay tribute to our enduring fascination with weird.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsOn this West Virginia Morning, a new book, “The Beasts of the East: The Fall and Rise of America’s Eastern Wilderness,” looks at the process to reintroduce large game to parts of Appalachia.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsSocial Security began 91 years ago when President Franklin Roosevelt signed it into law. Since then, it has provided a social safety net to Americans, allowing many of them to retire with dignity, according to John Hishta, senior vice president of campaigns with AARP. But many experts say that without some action, social security benefits will have to be reduced by 20% in 2032. News Director Eric Douglas sat down with Hishta to understand the situation.
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