Stickers And The Trouble With Indian Creek, Inside Appalachia

This week, we meet a West Virginia artist who designs stickers, t-shirts, patches and pins. She draws on classic Appalachian phrases her family has used for years. They’re not all radio-friendly.

Also, people who live near Indian Creek in southern West Virginia say something is wrong with the water. Tests show contamination from a nearby mine. Now people and animals are getting sick. 

And, lots of schools are seeing teacher shortages. But what happens when the band director quits?

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

In This Episode:

• The Hippie’s Daughter Makes Stickers
• Jayne Anne Phillips Talks Night Watch
• Trouble At Indian Creek
• Leader Of The Band

The Hippie’s Daughter Makes Stickers

Stickers have been a regular part of American pop culture for generations. Over the last several years, they’d become more local.

Folkways Reporter Maddy Miller visited with a West Virginia favorite, the Hippie’s Daughter, to talk about some of her best designs and most memorable phrases.  

Jayne Anne Phillips Talks Night Watch

This year’s Pulitzer Prize for literature went to West Virginia writer Jayne Anne Phillips, for her novel Night Watch. 

Set years after the end of the American Civil War, the book takes readers to the Trans Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, a mental hospital in the town of Weston, West Virginia. 

Last fall, Producer Bill Lynch spoke with Phillips about Night Watch and growing up near the asylum.

Trouble At Indian Creek

Residents of Wyoming County, West Virginia, say there’s something wrong with the water in a local creek. Residents says it’s making them sick and killing fish.

Reporter Erin Beck has been following the story. Mason Adams spoke with Beck about what she’s learned.

Leader Of The Band

Just before the start of the fall semester the band director for Midland Trail High School left for another job. With no one else to take over, a high school senior stepped up.

Kelsie Carte, a student at the Fayette Institute of Technology reported.

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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Sierra Ferrell, Amethyst Kiah, John Blissard, John Inghram, Sean Watkins and Little Sparrow.

Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our Executive Producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our Audio Mixer is Patrick Stephens.

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

You can find us on Instagram, Threads and Twitter @InAppalachia. Or here on Facebook.

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Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.