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The music of West Virginia songwriter Ella Hanshaw and, thanks in part to her grandchildren, the discovery of some old tapes that led to a new release.
Also, a pair of potters in western North Carolina forego commercial clay to work with clay that’s wild.
And, we make a trip to West Virginia’s Hillbilly Hotdogs for its infamous “Homewrecker Hotdog Challenge.”
You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
In This Episode:
Ella Hanshaw was a singer and songwriter who grew up and lived in West Virginia before moving to Ohio. The track is from a posthumous collection of her music titled Ella Hanshaw’s Black Book.
Ella Hanshaw’s Black Book is the first archival release by feminist record label Spinster. One of Spinster’s co-founders is former West Virginia folklorist Emily Hilliard, who’s written about Hanshaw’s music.
Ella Hanshaw passed away in 2020. The collection Ella Hanshaw’s Black Book came about in part because of Hanshaw’s granddaughter, Kelly Kerney. Host Mason Adams spoke with her recently about the release.
Clay is the usual go-to ingredient for pottery. Most professional and hobby potters rely on store-bought clay for their projects, but not everybody. In western North Carolina, some folks prefer to work with wild clay – that is, clay that’s dug right out of the ground. They say using this traditional material makes all the difference.
Anya Petrone Slepyan from the Rural Remix Podcast has this story.
Before the tractor, farmers in Appalachia relied on workhorses to plow fields and pull their wagons. In southwestern Virginia, the practice has mostly disappeared, often along with the farms themselves. But a few farmers never let go of farming with a horse.
Folkways Reporter Connie Bailey Kitts has this story.
There are lots of different kinds of bamboo – more than 1,400 varieties – ranging from tiny, scrub-like plants only a few inches tall, to others that top out around 130 feet. The most common variety in the U.S. is Golden or fishpole bamboo. It’s native to China and was introduced here in 1882. It’s sometimes used for landscaping but can be wildly invasive.
America has a native species of bamboo, too. It was once commonly found in Appalachia near rivers and streams, but was nearly wiped out.
Last summer, Radio IQ’s Roxy Todd reported that a group of mostly volunteers is trying to restore the plant in southwestern Virginia.
When southern West Virginia flooded back in February, lots of small businesses stepped up to help their communities. Five months later, some businesses are still dealing with damage from the floods. Reporter Wendy Welch brings us the story of one such restaurant in McDowell County.
Hillbilly Hotdogs in Lesage, West Virginia is a local institution and a tourist attraction for visitors from all over the world. Last summer, one of the hotdog stand’s signature menu items suddenly became unavailable. This summer, though, the Homewrecker returned. Producer Bill Lynch paid a visit to Lesage and brings us this story.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Ella Hanshaw, Frank George, John Blissard, Mary Hott and Hello June.
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 Editor Chris Julin.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
You can find us on Instagram, Threads and X @InAppalachia. Or here on Facebook.
Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!
Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
This week, the federal government has taken back millions of dollars set aside for public radio stations. Allegheny Mountain Radio is among those fighting to stay on the air. Also, a book by a West Virginia artist illustrates the tiny worlds of mountain critters, like a lizard that changes color. And, geocaching gets folks outside to play detective and find hidden treasures.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsIf you’ve ever been on TikTok or Instagram and seen short, quirky videos of English people talking about Marshall University football, or in this case, soccer, those are the brainchild of independent British filmmaker Daniel Johnson.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsLeaders of Huntington want commuters who work in the city to have a home there -- they've got a plan. And a campaign to help those in need access clean water looks at the unique challenges in Appalachia.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsThis week, we speak with the author of a new graphic novel about the West Virginia Mine Wars. Also, professional storyteller James Froemel invents quirky characters, like a sign maker who can’t spell. And, one of the most common animals to get hit by cars are opossums. But, there’s a kind of animal rescue called pouch picking. We talk with author Laura Jackson.
Continue Reading Take Me to More News
