This week, we’re revisiting our episode “What Is Appalachia?” from December 2021. Appalachia connects mountainous parts of the South, the Midwest, the Rust Belt and even the Northeast. That leaves so much room for geographic and cultural variation, as well as many different views on what Appalachia really is.
The Rock Band Wednesday, Quilting And The Moonshine Messiah, Inside Appalachia
Rising rock band Wednesday discusses long-term plans and life on the road.Photo by Zachary Chick, courtesy of Wednesday
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This week, Karly Hartzman of Asheville indie rock bandWednesday, talks about songwriting, place and spending a lot of time with a band on tour.
We also meet Emily Jones Hudson, who started a workshop to try and reinvigorate quilting in her community in Kentucky.
Also, we check in with the Alabama Astronaut and learn about a uniquely Appalachian form of art – religious music heard only in snake-handling churches.
The rock band Wednesday is based in Asheville, North Carolina. The band made big waves when its record, “Rat Saw God” came out in April 2023. The music site Pitchfork gave it 8.8 out of 10 and named it Best New Music.
Before Wednesday set out on a big European tour, Mason Adams caught up with singer/songwriter Karly Hartzman.
Stitching Back A Tradition Of Quilting
(L-R) Sandra Jones, Emily Jones Hudson, Rebecca Cornett and Katie Glover with the quilt they made together during the first Stories Behind the Quilt workshop series.
Credit: Capri Cafaro/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Quilts in Appalachia are often handed down from generation to generation and while some traditional arts have faded, people have never really stopped quilting. But the tradition can be patchy in some areas. Emily Jones Hudson noticed fewer quilters in her hometown of Hazard, Kentucky, especially among African Americans. So, she created a quilting workshop series to encourage people to revitalize an art and recapture some history.
Folkways Reporter Capri Cafaro brings us the story.
“The Moonshine Messiah” is the first novel of West Virginia native Russell W. Johnson.
Courtesy
November is National Novel Writing Month. All over the country, aspiring novelists have been writing their hearts out in hopes of penning the next best seller.
But the hard part to getting a novel into a reader’s hands might not be the writing. Author Russell Johnson makes his home in North Carolina, but his debut novel, “Moonshine Messiah,” is set in the West Virginia coal fields, where his parents are from.
Bill Lynch spoke with Johnson about writing and the long road to getting published.
All About The Alabama Astronaut
Musician, singer-songwriter, painter, podcaster and former preacher Abe Partridge.
Courtesy Photo
Usually, when you hear about snake-handling, it’s in an exploitative way, but the folks who handle snakes are more like people you might know. They also play a style of Appalachian music that’s largely gone undocumented. That music is the subject of a podcast released in 2022 called Alabama Astronaut.
Folkways Reporter Zack Harold spoke with co-host Abe Partridge about how a project intended to document this music ended up being about a whole lot more.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Wednesday, John Blissard, Little David and Christian Lopez.
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.
The West Virginia Legislature is back in Charleston for the 2026 legislative session. Gov. Patrick Morrisey delivered his second State of the State to the legislature Wednesday night and is seeking a 3% pay raise for state workers and a 10% income tax cut, among other items. Also, in this show, Sen. Mike Woelfel and Del. Sean Hornbuckle offer the minority response.
This week, we’re revisiting our episode “What Is Appalachia?” from December 2021. Appalachia connects mountainous parts of the South, the Midwest, the Rust Belt and even the Northeast. That leaves so much room for geographic and cultural variation, as well as many different views on what Appalachia really is.
WVPB’s annual TV/radio simulcast The Legislature Today kicks off Jan. 16 through March 13. Every Friday at 6 p.m., our journalists will bring you the latest news from the West Virginia Legislature, including interviews with lawmakers and stakeholders. In our first episode this year, you’ll see an interview with Del. Sean Hornbuckle and Sen. Mike Woelfel, both minority leaders in their respective chambers and both from Cabell County. Here’s an excerpt.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey delivered his second State of the State address Wednesday night, giving lawmakers and the public a look at his priorities for the legislative session now underway.