Inside Appalachia

This week, we listen back to three award-winning Folkways stories from last year. First, we visit a luthier’s shop, where old musical instruments get new life.

We also take a ride on the Cass Scenic Railroad and meet the expert crew who keeps its antique trains running.

And we learn what draws people from hours away to Floyd, Virginia’s weekly Friday Night Jamboree.

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

After last year’s flooding in Eastern Kentucky, some people had trouble getting insurance reimbursement. But it wasn’t just flood waters that destroyed homes. The rains also brought landslides. 

We visit with scientists in North Carolina, who explain how the language we use can lead to misunderstandings about climate change.

And, in Appalachia, farmers have long planted their gardens by celestial signs. Berea College professor Sarah Hall has a new book about how that knowledge is still in use today. 

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

This week, we visit with Jerry Machen of Kingsport, Tennessee. When he first started making art from old carpets, his wife Linda wasn’t impressed.

We also meet the devoted family and friends of Cuz’s Uptown Barbeque, who rallied behind the acclaimed Appalachian restaurant during a hard time.

And, it used to be that every grocery store had a trained butcher behind the counter. But that’s not the case so much today. So the owner of a Charleston abattre had an idea.

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

This week, we step on the Appalachian Trail with one of America’s most accomplished hikers, Jennifer Pharr Davis.

We also talk to the director of the Augusta Heritage Center. Each summer, dozens of students attend workshops to learn traditional skills. This year, the center is turning 50.

We’ll also visit the steel drum capital of America – which, believe it or not, is right here in Appalachia.

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

Family recipes are a way to connect generations, but what happens when you’ve got grandma’s recipe and it doesn’t have exact measurements?

We also talk with Ohio poet laureate Kari Gunter-Seymour about Appalachia, poems — and getting published.

And we revisit a story about an attraction at the confluence of the New and Gauley rivers — and the man who put it there.

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

This week, we look back at a shocking crime near the Appalachian Trail and speak to the author of a book that re-examines the case.

We also sample a beloved Lenten staple made in Charleston, West Virginia. It’s a Yugoslavian fish stew that has a little bit of everything.

And we talk with the poet laureate of Blair County, Pennyslvania, who invented the demi-sonnet.

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

Appalachians love to compete. Whether it’s rec league softball, a turkey calling contest or workplace chili cookoffs… Mountain folks are in it to win it.

But there’s more to competing than just winning or losing. In this show, we’ll also meet competitors who are also keepers of beloved Appalachian traditions.

This week, we talk to the BBC’s Philip Reevell and reporter Kaitie Myers about a recent documentary that looks at Kentucky flood recovery through the eyes of local reporter Katie Myers.

She not only covered the disaster but was also part of the cleanup effort.

We also meet a family who survived the flood and found solace through faith and song.

And we meet Kentucky actress Caroline Clay. She stars in a new musical with Dukes of Hazzard actor John Schneider.

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

This week, climate change is changing what grows in Appalachia, and where. Some peach varieties usually found in Georgia are moving north.

We also learn how the bean dish frijoles charros made its way from northern Mexico — to Appalachian Ohio.

And we revisit our interview with Crystal Wilkinson, who was appointed Kentucky poet laureate in 2021.

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

This week, we hop a tiny train to discover the miniature wonders of a West Virginia model railroad club that now faces an uncertain future.

We also visit Madison, West Virginia - a former coal community that's looking to reinvent itself. 

And we visit a cemetery in Bluefield, Virginia and learn how racial segregation extended from cradle to the grave.

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