This week, I am so honored to be joined by celebrated Kentucky author, Bobi Conn. Bobi has written two books—her memoir, In the Shadow of the Valley and a recently published novel, A Woman in Time — and is working on publishing a third book. Bobi and I had a great discussion about her memoir, her process of writing it, the experiences she drew from, and how she envisions her work as providing a more detailed and nuanced picture of life in eastern Kentucky and Appalachia. Along the way, we discuss the history of the region and how things ended up as they are, and suppose some ways on how we can make the region we love, the best that it can be. This was a wonderful conversation, from start to finish. I hope that you all get a chance to read Bobi's work, and I hope that you enjoy this Monday's episode!

Bobi's Website: https://bobiconn.com/

This week, we're traveling to the quintessential Appalachian state: New York! I know, we don't often make that connection, but New York is still a part of the geographic, political, and cultural Appalachian community, and we appreciate all of our neighbors there, including Alan Tremblay, the owner and operator of the subject of today's episode: Tremblay Apiaries. Alan is an experienced beekeeper who ethically and sustainably produces, packages, and directly sells his own honey and several other naturally based products that I discuss in the episode. I hope you all enjoy and that you get a chance to support Alan and his *local* business!

Tremblay Apiaries Website: https://www.tremblayapiaries.com/

If you had told me a year and a half ago that this episode would air, I would not have believed you. This week I am honored to be joined by THE Big John Isner, exemplary Appalachian, former co-host of the Appodlachia Podcast, and currently working as a no-nonsense Public Defender in West Virginia. For those who may not know, Public Defenders are attorneys who are tasked with representing defendants in criminal cases who do not have the money to afford private counsel. Working in this field requires a lot of dedication, especially considering how underpaid and overworked many public defenders are. John and I discuss the reality of PD work in Appalachia—along with it's challenges and triumphs—as well as how we might reform the system to make sure that everyone has access to a fundamental, Constitutional right. This was such a fun interview from start to finish, and I hope you all enjoy!

Surprise! I've been thinking on how I can improve the show for you all, and I had an idea. With a pretty hefty backlog of interviews left to publish, it would be at least a couple of months before I got them published, and that just will not do. And so, from now on, our full-length episodes will be published on Monday, and the Sights to See Episodes will come out each Friday! More content for you all, more efficiency for me, and  opportunities for more guests, everyone wins! This week, we're exploring the Museum of Appalachia in Clinton, Tennessee. If yo find yourself  thinking, "Teej, how have I not heard of this place before?" I can't tell ya, because I've been wondering that myself! Regardless, this looks like an amazing place to visit. I hope you all enjoy this episode, and I hope you get a chance to visit!

Museum of Appalachia Website: https://www.museumofappalachia.org/

For our final conversation with some of the contributors of Y'all Means All, I was glad to speak with Julie Rae Powers. Julie Rae is a photographer with deep roots in Appalachia who is doing some amazing work to magnify the voices of  folks who have often been left out of the conversation about what Appalachia is, and how we can make it better.  We discuss their contribution to Y'all Means All, and we also have a deep and insightful chat about the power of photography in portraying Appalachia authentically, and how that task has played into the region's history. Julie Rae has a lot of great things in the works right now, be sure to check out their website in the links below to stay up to date on their work, and follow them on social media! I hope you all enjoy this conversation!

Julie Rae's Website: http://www.julieraepowers.com/

Tune in this week to hear all about the White Whale Bookstore, located in the Paris of Appalachia: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I also give a preview about how the Sights to See series will be expanded upon in later episodes. I hope you all enjoy!

White Whale Bookstore: https://whitewhalebookstore.com/

I know I know, y'all are probably thinking, "Teej, what the heck, you said you would have a regular schedule from now on, what gives?". Well my friends, I also said I would cut back on coffee and go to the gym every day this year. In any case, thank you all so much for your graciousness, and I do apologize that I was not able to release an episode of Sights to See last week. From this point on, I do foresee that we will have a regular recording and publishing schedule (but this time, you know, I really mean it). Anyway, I am so thrilled to bring you all my conversation with Kendall Loyer, a scholar, dancer, and contributor to Y'all Means All, which is an anthology dedicated to the experiences of Appalachian folks who are also members of the LGBTQ community. Kendall and I had a great chat about a lot of different topics, including her idea of "plant time" where folks create space and opportunities to think about what makes them who they are and how they can harness that to build a positive community around them. I think that is one of the most important things we can do in trying to understand and love our neighbors, especially so that we can build community and solidarity with folks who, although they appear different from us, may not be so different after all. I hope you all enjoy!

I'm honored to be joined on the podcast this week by Aaron Leonard, journalist and author of several books, including The Folk Singers and the Bureau: The FBI, the Folk Artists, and Suppression of the Communist Party USA. In this book, Aaron details the careers of several prominent folks singers in the U.S., spanning from the 1930s into the 1950s. Aaron and I chat about how the artists he writes about —Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Burl Ives, Lead Belly, Sis Cunningham and others— had ideas about how to create a better world than the one that they saw before them in Depression-era America. They weren't right about everything, but they weren't trying to push a party line on anyone. As Aaron and I discuss, they were trying to use the art they created to tell about the world they saw gripped by fear and depression, but also to inspire others to join them in making it better. As a result, they were met with repression, surveillance, and persecution. The question of how to end human suffering and create a better world (the same question that these artists were trying to answer), is the same one that poses us, and as Aaron points out, even if history isn't always a straight line of progress, we all are much like the narrator of the song, Worried Man Blues: "we're worried now, but we won't be worried long". This was a great conversation and I hope that you all enjoy!

Aaron's Website: http://www.aaronleonard.net/

Welcome to the first episode of our "Sights to See and Places to Be in Appalachia" series for Season 4. On these episodes, I highlight a location in the Appalachian region that's worthy of a visit if you're from the area, if you've never been, if you want to plan a trip here or if you're ever just passing through. This week, we're beginning our journey in Alabama by taking a look at Cathedral Caverns State Park, located near Woodville, Alabama. Tune in to hear all about this place and the fun things it has to offer for anyone who would like to visit! Follow the link below for all the details you need to plan your visit. I hope you all enjoy!

Cathedral Caverns State Park Website: https://www.alapark.com/parks/cathedral-caverns-state-park

After an unexpected and avoidable gap in publishing, we're back on track! I apologize for not putting out an episode of Sights to See last Monday, we'll be back with that series next week. For this week however, I am *so* excited to be bringing you all a conversation with Dr. Beck Banks, one of the contributors to the recently-published anthology, Y'all Means All: the Emerging Voices of Queering Appalachia, edited by Zane McNeill. This is a wonderful collection that is empowering so many people to tell their own stories for themselves, and to show how diverse of a place Appalachia truly is. Beck and I chat about how to build communities that are welcoming, filled with love, and that help everyone thrive in their own way, and how we each have a role to play in that process. Over the next few weeks, I'll be publishing  interviews I've had with other contributors to Y'all Means All; these are wonderful folks who are doing such important work to create community and solidarity in the mountains and other places, and I am so excited for us to hear their stories. Also, a *huge* thank you to Zane for connecting me with Beck and the other contributors, and for putting this collection together! Be sure to check the link below to see how you can get a copy for yourself, I hope you all enjoy!

Y'all Means All: https://pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1240