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A Japanese Shinto Garden took root in southwestern Virginia because of family connections spanning geography and generations.
Also, in Whitesburg, Kentucky a new mosaic uses recovered objects to honor the town’s people after the flood of 2022.
And, the young adult novel Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire mixes historical fact with spooky Appalachian folklore.
You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
In This Episode:
Elk Creek, Virginia is a small, unincorporated community located in Grayson County, about a half hour from the North Carolina border. Many people in Elk Creek have deep ties to their land, and for one family taking care of their land and honoring their ancestors meant creating a traditional Japanese Shinto Garden.
From Elk Creek, Folkways Reporter Wendy Welch brings us the story.
Letcher County, Kentucky artist Lacy Hale is known across Appalachia for her enduring screen print that reads, “No Hate in My Holler.” But Lacy does a lot of public art projects.
And so, four years after the devastating Kentucky floods, she was hired to make a public mosaic that incorporates material contributions from community members. The artwork protects memories, shares stories and helps the community to heal.
The Whitesburg mosaic was completed and unveiled at the end of July. This story was produced by Nicole Musgrave and was a collaboration between Mimi Pickering of Appalshop and Teresa Collins of the Center for Rural Strategies and originally aired on the Rural Remix podcast.
WESA’s Designing Dignity series is exploring possible solutions for healthcare challenges created by Pennsylvania’s —and Appalachia’s — aging population. Some of these ideas come from Japan, where one-third of the population is 65 or older.
Japan has implemented a program to keep medical costs down through a taxpayer-funded insurance program specifically for long-term care. Several U.S. states are exploring their own version of universal long-term care insurance.
WESA’s Kiley Koscinski reports.
One of Virginia’s rarest plants, the Peters Mountain Mallow, lives on only one mountainside in the world, in the New River Valley along the West Virginia line. Last year, scientists counted just five plants that are still alive, and the ongoing drought means protecting it from extinction is getting tougher.
Radio IQ’s Roxy Todd reports.
Tori Mather is the author of Scenic Natural Wonders of Pennsylvania, a new book that introduces readers to some of the state’s treasures. The Alleghany Front’s Savannah Colberg met up with Mather in Pittsburgh’s Frick Park to learn more.
In July, Roanoke, Virginia, hosted USA Cycling’s Endurance Mountain Bike National Championships. For local mountain bikers, it was just the latest summit in a decades-long, uphill grind for respectability.
Host Mason Adams reports from Roanoke.
The young adult novel Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire tells the story of a witch-in-training who uses her magic to help a forgotten mountain coal town. The book blends fantasy and Appalachian social history, with a touch of queer romance. It’s the debut novel by Don Martin, and it was an instant New York Times bestseller.
Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Martin about the book and his podcast Head on Fire.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Blue Dot Sessions, Jeff Ellis, Dinosaur Burps, and Hello June.
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 Allison Silverstein.
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.
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As lawmakers and educational leaders across West Virginia take a hard look at school finances, administrative staff that work outside the classroom have come under increased scrutiny. But one school financial operations officer says administrators manage an increasingly complicated educational landscape.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsKentucky Fried Chicken founder Colonel Sanders' iconic items earned big bucks at auction. For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, reporter Andrew Henderson went to the auction and hung around for the fried chicken.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsThis week, having a very specific talent can lead to a dream job. It’s how cartoonist John Rose got his foot in the door to draw the comic strip Snuffy Smith. Also, there are dos and don’ts for treating poison ivy. And, a young, old-time musician wants to save her family’s lost ballads.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsFor nearly 100 years, Snuffy Smith has been a staple of newspaper comic pages, though these days, it’s easier to find him online. Snuffy Smith was brought to life by Artist Fred Lasswell in the 1930s, but now the strip is written and drawn by John Rose, who lives in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. We hear from Rose about drawing the famous hillbilly.
Continue Reading Take Me to More News
