Silas House And Making A State Park, Inside Appalachia

Author Silas House returns with a sweeping new novel.

Also, some folks say, you have to fake it ’til you make it, even if you’re trying to establish a state park.  

And, the story of the first Mothman sightings as written by a small town journalist in 1966.

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

In This Episode:

• In Conversation With Silas House
• Exploring Ancient Cave Systems In Pennsylvania
• What Do We Lose When Newspapers Shutter?
• Retelling Columnist Mary Hyre’s Mothman Sightings

In Conversation With Silas House

Silas House is a prolific writer who is a vital voice in Appalachia. The Kentucky native has written more than 15 books, served as the state’s poet laureate, done music journalism and even wrote and directed a music video for Tyler Childers. 

His latest book is The Tulip Poplars. It’s a sweeping novel that chronicles the lives of four people as they navigate friendship and forbidden love throughout the 20th century.

Host Mason Adams recently spoke with House.

Exploring Ancient Cave Systems In Pennsylvania

Across much of Appalachia, there’s a hidden world beneath your feet. The region is chock full of ancient cave systems. Some are just little caverns you can walk in and out of. Some are so deep nobody’s sure where they begin or end.

Folkways Reporter Andrea Peterson explored a once-privately owned underground landscape that recently became a Pennsylvania State Park.  

What Do We Lose When Newspapers Shutter?

Print journalism has been struggling for years. What happens when a newspaper shutters or loses most of its staff, and what do we lose?

For the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, Andrew Henderson sat down with Alex Acquisto, who reported for the Lexington Herald-Leader, in eastern Kentucky. Acquisto was recently laid off, along with a dozen of her colleagues.

Retelling Columnist Mary Hyre’s Mothman Sightings

Fans of Appalachian monsters and cryptids know Mothman. In West Virginia lore, it’s a human-sized creature with wings and red eyes that glow. It was first spotted in the 1960s. A small-town newspaper writer covered the Mothman sightings. And then tragedy struck the town.

Last fall, WVPB News Director Eric Douglas looked at the Mothman’s origins through old newspaper clippings.

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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Larry Rader, Harvey and Copeland and Blue Dot Sessions. 

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 and our Folkways Audio Engineer is Charlie Kaier. We had help this week from Folkways Editor Ibby Caputo.

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

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Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.