Inside Appalachia

This week, Inside Appalachia dives into the holidays. We go a-wassailing in Asheville, North Carolina. It’s kind of like Christmas caroling, with a kick.

Also, family recipes bring generations together. But what happens when you’ve got grandma’s potato candy recipe, and it doesn’t have exact measurements? 

And, a new book explores the magical dark side of nature. 

This week, when you’re the only doctor in a rural mountain county, you’ve got to think ahead to keep your practice going. 

Also, a West Virginia baker draws on her Finnish heritage to make a different kind of cinnamon roll.

And if you bought a live-cut Christmas tree this year, there’s a good chance it came from Appalachia.

This week, a poet and musician draws inspiration from a distant family connection to the Grand Ole Opry’s Little Jimmy Dickens.

Also, for 15 years, a Virginia library has been hosting a weekly Dungeons & Dragons game for teens. It can get wacky.

And, a taxidermist in Yadkin County, North Carolina found her calling before she could drive a car. 

This week, one thing about Appalachians: we can get competitive. 

We’re proud of our local food. Love a good hunt. And enjoy competition with friends.  

We learn the rules and celebrate our victories.

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

Our Common Nature is a new podcast from WNYC. It features cellist Yo-Yo Ma and producer Ana Gonzalez, as they explore America and talk to folks like West Virginia coal miners.

This week, we follow Yo-Yo and his team as they venture into Appalachia. And we talk with Gonzalez about meeting people where they are.  

This week, the cost of health insurance is going up in 2026. Millions of people are faced with sticker shock.

Also, a mountain farmer kept an encrypted diary for years. It’s unclear whether he would have wanted that code to ever be cracked. 

And, a beloved West Virginia hot dog restaurant closed in 2018. An annual tribute sale gives people a chance to relive its glory days.

This week 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, central Appalachia is known for exporting coal. But it's losing people, too. 

Also, folk singer Ginny Hawker grew up singing the hymns of the Primitive Baptist Church, but she didn’t think of performing until she got a little boost from Appalachian icon Hazel Dickens. 

And, the chef of an award-winning Asheville restaurant was shaped by memories of growing up in West Virginia.

Just in time for Halloween, a suite of spooky tales to make your skin crawl.  

Also, tales of the supernatural.

And, ghost stories galore.

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

This week, a new novel about two girls and an astronomy textbook draws inspiration from one of the quietest places in West Virginia.

Also, author Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle talks about growing up as part of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

And, a Kentucky tattoo artist practices traditional tattooing and traditional music. He says they’re not too different.