Inside Appalachia

This week — after a disaster, can comics help set the record straight? We talk with the founder of the Appalachian Comics Project.

Also, in Western North Carolina, a new generation of Cherokee potters are keeping old traditions, while shaping a modern practice all their own.

 And … schoolyard games come and go, but for kids in one community, marbles still rule. 

During a pandemic, where do you give birth?

Also, we’ll have the story of a family that cultivated an heirloom tomato in West Virginia. It took a lot of work. 

And, a musical tradition brought people together — even when they couldn’t gather in person.

This week, the music of West Virginia songwriter Ella Hanshaw. Her music is getting rediscovered thanks to her grandchildren. 

Also, a pair of potters in western North Carolina forego commercial clay to work with clay that’s wild.  

And we make a trip to West Virginia’s Hillbilly Hotdogs for its infamous Homewrecker Hotdog Challenge.

This week, an international photographer turns his lens toward home. 

Also, after Hurricane Helene, whitewater rafting guides are adapting to diminished business and changed rivers.

And, we remember Travis Stimeling. The author, musician and educator left a mark on mountain culture, and the people who practice and document it.  

This week, dinos fight Civil War soldiers at a theme park throwback — Dinosaur Kingdom II in Natural Bridge, Virginia. 

Also, one person’s roadside weed is another’s “golden” treasure. So says a North Carolina fiber artist.  

And the backstory of a bus that sits at the confluence of the New and Gauley rivers — and the man who put it there.

People with mental health challenges or substance use disorder often end up in jail. But crisis response teams offer another path.

Also, one year after the Mountain Valley Pipeline went into service, people who live directly in the pipeline’s path have received compensation. But not everyone.

And, the Sacred Harp songbook gets an update for the first time since the early ‘90s.

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

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

We also remember renowned Tennessee luthier, Jean Horner. Whose fiddles were played at Carnegie Hall and the Grand Ole Opry. His shop was a destination for fiddle fanatics.

And a Hare Krishna community in West Virginia serves vegetarian food made in three sacred kitchens. 

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

This week, a hospital in Western North Carolina was bought out. Residents say the quality of care has gone down.  

Also, an immersion school in North Carolina is trying to revitalize the Cherokee language with the help of a printmaking class.

And a pair of artists follow cicada hatchings to make art from their shells.   

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

This week, a West Virginia man is reviving an historic Black coal camp through farming.

Also, the legacy of Affrilachian poet Norman Jordan includes a summer camp for teens to study their heritage.

And, the Reverend George Mills Dickerson of Tazewell, Virginia, was born in the years after slavery ended. He’s remembered on Juneteenth through his poetry.

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

Textbooks have long left out an important piece of labor history that happened here in the mountains --the Mine Wars. Now, there's a book out that's written for teenagers.

Also, when flooding devastates a community, people can find solace through faith and through song.

And we remember songwriter Billy Edd Wheeler, who passed away last year. Dozens of musicians have covered his songs, including Johnny Cash and June Carter.