In troubled times, the outdoors can offer peace. We talk with a West Virginia writer about her new collection of essays.  

Also, modern technology makes firing pottery a lot easier, but some potters in North Carolina still do it the old way. 

And, East Tennessee’s Amythyst Kiah’s latest album contemplates the cosmos.

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

In This Episode:

Writer Sheila McEntee has been observing nature for most of her life, especially birds. She’s published essays about her experiences in Stonecrop Review, Woods Reader and Wonderful West Virginia magazine. Several of these essays have been collected for McEntee’s first book. It’s titled, Soul Friend: And Other Love Notes to the Natural World.

Producer Bill Lynch spoke with McEntee about writing and developing an interest in nature.

Summer is a great time to spy butterflies in your backyard or in meadows across the region. Unfortunately, their numbers are declining. The Mitchell’s Satyr butterfly is federally listed as endangered. Scientists are working to preserve the few meadows where these elusive butterflies still exist.

Radio IQ’s Roxy Todd tagged along with a surveyor in Floyd County, Virginia to learn more.

Technology has taken some of the work out of firing pottery. A lot of potters use sophisticated kilns that can be fired by just one person. Some don’t even require human supervision – just punch in your settings, add your pottery and come back later. But other older methods still exist. These take work – and help, which is part of the point.

Reporter Anya Petrone Slepyan from the Rural Remix Podcast brings us this story from western North Carolina.

The Republican budget bill passed by Congress in June includes cuts to Medicaid funding. The changes shift some health care costs from the federal to state governments. That will mean a loss of coverage for vulnerable populations. It also means some rural hospitals may have to close.  

As part of the bill, Congress added $50 billion to the Rural Transformation Fund, to help offset those cuts. Rich Sutphin is executive director of the West Virginia Rural Health Association.

WVPB’s Maria Young spoke with Sutphin about the changes. 

The Tennessee Valley Authority is leaning in on fossil fuels. Not only is it considering delaying the retirement of four coal-fired power plants, it’s considering building several new gas-fired plants. 

But the TVA is facing community opposition to some of those plans — even from a prominent country star.

Now, in this moment of scrutiny, President Donald Trump could radically change the nation’s oldest and largest public utility. 

WPLN’s Caroline Eggers reports.

“Play God and Destroy the World” is the opening track from Still + Bright by singer and songwriter Amythyst Kiah. The album follows 2021’s Wary + Strange, and features guest spots by S.G. Goodman, Billy Strings and others. Amythyst Kiah spoke with Inside Appalachia from her home in Johnson City, Tennessee.

Amythyst Kiah is touring through the fall. In mid-August, she’ll appear on West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Mountain Stage. You can catch the broadcast in September. Check the Mountain Stage website for details. 

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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Paul Loomis, Gery Milnes, Hello June, Mary Hott and Amythyst Kiah. 

Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens.

You can send us an email: [email protected].

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Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.