Inside Appalachia

This week, we meet a craftsman who builds exquisite, handmade fly rods and shares his love of fishing with others.

We also talk about Appalachia’s nurse shortage. Experts say tackling racism could help attract and keep more nurses.

We also hear stories about Appalachian baseball and listen to the story of how a minor league team in Tennessee traded its shortstop — for a turkey.

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

Inside Appalachia loves books and writers –and if you’re looking for summer book recommendations, we’ve got a bunch. It’s our summer reading episode, featuring some of our favorite notable author interviews from over the past several months. 

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

This week, we’re joined by Lilly Knoepp, regional reporter at Blue Ridge Public Radio in Western North Carolina.

Boom and bust cycles for coal, timber and textiles are nothing new to Appalachia. Today we’re seeing another industry struggle –local journalism. 

Some newspapers have scaled back or disappeared entirely, but journalism isn’t dying. Journalists are adapting and some are reinventing what they do.

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

This week, we head to the meadows and woods of West Virginia to catch the buzz on beekeeping. And, it’s been over six years since Kentucky artist Lacy Hale designed her iconic “No Hate in My Holler” screenprint. Appalachians are still telling her how much they identify with its message. We also take a ride on the Cass Scenic Railroad and explore some one-of-a-kind getaways in West Virginia. You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

This week… Drop of Sun Studios in Asheville, North Carolina has put out some of the hottest indie rock records of the year. We talked with one of its co-founders.

We also visit the Allegheny Highlands, where Appalachia’s maple syrup traditions are changing with the times.

And, poet Lacy Snapp introduces us to east Tennessee’s poetry scene.

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

This week, a high school football game, a street festival, and a kids' classroom are all settings in a new film about how coal mining shapes Appalachian culture.

We also learn about the results of a new survey showing alarming mental health trends in Appalachia’s LGBTQ community.

And we meet a taxidermist in Yadkin County, North Carolina who was just a teenager when she found her calling.

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

This week on Inside Appalachia, we’re talking about traditional ballads — how they tell stories and connect us to the past.

These old tunes can mean so much. They can tap into difficult emotions and give feelings space to be heard. Some songs may even be too uncomfortable to sing. In this special episode with guest co-host, ballad singer Saro Lynch-Thomason, we explore songs about lawbreaking folk heroes, runaway trains and murder ballads.

This week, a southern Ohio college writing class recently learned about the idea of Appalachian identity and then told us what they thought. Kentucky has a new poet laureate. We listen back to a 2020 conversation with author Silas House, about growing up in the mountains. And in Harlan Kentucky, a mural sparked strong opinions over possums.

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

This week, we speak with the author of a new book about grief rituals and how they’re practiced here in the mountains.

We also talk with podcaster Abe Partridge about an Appalachian art that goes unheard by most people – the religious music of snake handling churches. 

And, a new study recently found a majority of Americans are not on track to comfortably pay for retirement. We checked in with the National Council on Aging about preparing for the end of our working lives. 

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