Barbara Kingsolver, Kudzu Warriors And Pawpaws, Inside Appalachia

Barbara Kingsolver’s new novel takes on issues of class and classical music. 

Also, kudzu warriors band together to fend off invasive plants and take back the land.

And, it’s pawpaw season. But a new bug could be harming the trees.

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

In This Episode:

• In Conversation With Barbara Kingsolver
• Fighting Kudzu In Western North Carolina
• Burrowing Beetles Threaten Pawpaw Season
• Radio Quiet Zones In W.Va. Constrains Emergency Crews, First Responders
• Bridge Day BASE Jumping

In Conversation With Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver is one of Appalachia’s foremost writers. She’s written a string of bestsellers, like The Poisonwood Bible, and developed a devoted readership around the world. Her 2022 novel, Demon Copperhead, won the Pulitzer Prize. 

Kingsolver has a new book out. It’s called Partita. It tracks Livia, a middle-aged woman in Tennessee, as she receives a call from an old lover that brings up memories of her youth and threatens to disrupt the life she’s built since then. It’s a story about young, obsessive love, mature love and the love of art — in Livia’s case, music.

Host Mason Adams met with Kingsolver at her home outside Abingdon, Virginia, a couple weeks before her new novel was set to publish.

Fighting Kudzu In Western North Carolina

Generations ago, kudzu was introduced to Appalachia to help control erosion and provide forage for cattle. But then, it kind of just took over. Kudzu is an invasive plant that chokes out native greenery. Some people are fighting back.

Folkways Reporter Eliza Benbow spent time with the kudzu warriors in western North Carolina.

Burrowing Beetles Threaten Pawpaw Season

We are currently in that very narrow window that is pawpaw season. The fruit can be found throughout the eastern part of the U.S., but especially here in Appalachia. It’s a hardy tree, resistant to some common garden nuisances like rabbits and deer, but a threat from an invasive beetle has emerged.  

The Ohio Newsroom’s Erin Gottsacker spoke with Chris Chmiel, a farmer who grows and processes pawpaws. 

Radio Quiet Zones In W.Va. Constrains Emergency Crews, First Responders

The radio quiet zone sprawls over nearly 13,000 square miles in West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland. Because of sensitive government work, use of technology most of us take for granted, like microwave ovens or wireless phone service, is limited there. 

A cell phone can’t place a call or access the internet. 

The restrictions complicate how modern firefighters, police and first responders in the area can do their jobs.   

A new federal study highlights the problem. WVPB’s Maria Young spoke with Rick Gillespie with Pendleton County, West Virginia, Emergency Management, which is in the zone.

Bridge Day BASE Jumping

Every October, hundreds of BASE jumpers head to the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia. They come to leap from the 876-foot tall bridge, pull their parachutes and aim for the banks of the river below.  

In 2024, high school students Dylan Neil and Noah Fox spoke with BASE jumper Marcus Ellison, who helps organize the event.

--

Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Blue Dot Sessions, John Blissard and John Inghram. 

Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Irina Zhorov is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from Folkways Editor Molly Born. 

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.

Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.