Southern Salon: a culture and travel podcast

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In this episode we talk with fiction and nonfiction author Karen Salyer McElmurray, a native of eastern Kentucky and author of four books and a co-edited collection. Our conversation opens with our discussion of her memoir, Surrendered Child, which chronicles her teenage pregnancy in early 1970's Kentucky, giving up her son for adoption, and reuniting with him as an adult. This heart-wrenching exploration of motherhood  also finds its way into her most recent book, Wanting Radiance, a haunting novel that winds its way through time and a family that broken by murder and lost love. Written in prose that reads like poetry, Wanting Radiance is a book you will want to read if you haven't already.

Karen's memoir Surrendered Child, won the AWP Award Series for Creative Nonfiction and was listed as a “notable book” by the National Book Critics Circle. She is also the author of Motel of the Stars, Editor's Pick from Oxford American, and a Lit Life Book of the Year.  Strange Birds in the Tree of Heaven (University of Georgia Press), won the Lillie Chaffin Award for Appalachian Writing. Walk Till the Dogs Get Mean is co-edited with Adrian Blevins, from Ohio University Press.  Her essays have won the Annie Dillard Prize, the New Southerner Prize, the Orison Magazine Anthology Award and have several times been Notable in Best American Essays.  A collection of her essays is forthcoming from Iris Books.  Her newest book, a novel called Wanting Radiance, from University Press of Kentucky is now available.  https://www.karensalyermcelmurray.com/books

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How will schools adapt to Covid-19 this fall? How concerned do caregivers need to be about their children's safety? What about teachers? In this episode, we interview pediatrician Dr. Susan Jeansonne, M.D. and high school/college instructor Hope Cloud, M.A. as we tackle questions from some of our listeners about the new collaborative culture between health care and public schools, the effects of Covid on children, and what we can probably expect from public schools in the fall during this ever-changing pandemic. To read more Dr. Jeansonne's background and business, Healthy Sprouts + House Calls, go to: www.healthysproutsandhousecalls.com
*Please note that because the Covid-19 situation changes daily, some of the information recorded here regarding research and school policies could have changed.
Photo credit: Unicef

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Follow me for more updates on this podcast and the Talking Appalachian podcast @talkingappalachian on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube.

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Have you ever dreamed of turning your passion into a living? In this episode, we interview Candace Meade, a mom of five whose passion for sewing led to her successful business "Duke and Fox." The popularity of her handmade embroidered dog and cat collars (and accessories like snacks and bandanas) catapulted her to the top 1% of Etsy sellers (out of 2.5 million shops.) Listen in as Candace talks about how she balances a thriving business with parenthood, her strategies for communication and marketing, and what advice she has for so many of you listening who are growing your own businesses. You'll hear about how she navigates creating in her studio and managing employees with five kids at home, and what life (and business) has been like since the pandemic You'll be inspired by this momtrepreneur and her story!

You can finde Duke and Fox at the website linked here and on Etsy and Facebook.

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Follow me for more updates on this podcast and the Talking Appalachian podcast @talkingappalachian on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube.

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Wall Street Journal  columnist Elizabeth Bernstein joins us to talk about her recent article on the science of prayer. Research shows that prayer-in any form-has health benefits, particularly when we find what we feel is a safe space to pray, and we see it as a collaborative practice. Bernstein talks about the research to support the advantages of praying, and shares her own powerful story about what inspired the topic for this column.
For more about Elizabeth and her column called "Bonds" about relationships and social psychology, please go to: https://www.wsj.com/news/author/elizabeth-anne-bernstein.

Photo by Samuel Scrimshaw on Unsplash

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Follow me for more updates on this podcast and the Talking Appalachian podcast @talkingappalachian on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube.

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In this episode, we are talking about good, homegrown country food and how it begins with recipes as old and precious as family heirlooms. You'll hear how the kitchen (like the front porch) is a place where storytelling seasons the foods. We will talk about what it means to plant and harvest "by the signs" and where the custom comes from. We will also have tips for novice gardeners who want this to be their year to grow.
Follow us on on our Instagram page @southernsalonpodcast for behind the scenes details, recipes, recommended reading and more.

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Follow me for more updates on this podcast and the Talking Appalachian podcast @talkingappalachian on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube.

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If you're looking for something to read or a Netflix series to binge, we're talking about our recommendations for books, shows, and podcasts in this episode. What better way to spend some time as you're social distancing or quarantining, than to curl up with books by Lee Smith, Ron Rash, Silas House, Wiley Cash, Amy Greene, Rick Bragg, Anne Lamott, Katherine Howe, Francene Rivers and more? (We also talk about that bestselling "hillbilly" book and what you need to know if you're considering reading it.) Hear why Peaky Blinders is Amy's favorite Netflix series, and what Brittany thought after watching Tiger King.
Bonus: we begin with a little bit of mountain lore as we discuss Lee Smith. Have you heard the one about a bird in the house?

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Follow me for more updates on this podcast and the Talking Appalachian podcast @talkingappalachian on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube.

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Social distancing. Home school. Working from home. Toilet paper? We continue our look into this pandemic moment as working moms in rural communities. We talk about how we are giving ourselves grace as we try to navigate a new normal while making the best of birthdays and the Easter holiday. But this is also our love letter to the small town life we took for granted growing up, because in spite of its struggles, we see the best of rural America our own generation's "hard times."

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Follow me for more updates on this podcast and the Talking Appalachian podcast @talkingappalachian on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube.

Want early access, bonus episodes, and stickers? Become a subscriber in the Talking Appalachian/Southern Salon podcast community.

Send us a Text Message.

Support the Show.

Follow me for more updates on this podcast and the Talking Appalachian podcast @talkingappalachian on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube.

Want early access, bonus episodes, and stickers? Become a subscriber in the Talking Appalachian/Southern Salon podcast community.

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In this introduction to the podcast, we tell you a little about who we are, why  we call it "Southern Salon," and what you can expect from this first season.
Production note: *This episode was recorded prior to the Covid-19 outbreak, and we have rerecorded the episode titled "Unfiltered" since then.

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Follow me for more updates on this podcast and the Talking Appalachian podcast @talkingappalachian on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube.

Want early access, bonus episodes, and stickers? Become a subscriber in the Talking Appalachian/Southern Salon podcast community.

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Since we're both from the Appalachian Mountain region, we speak with distinctive voices shaped by our people and place. In this episode we explore what George Ella Lyon calls the "voiceplace," as we talk about learning to love our native accents even as we navigate the standardized world of academia.

Support the Show.

Follow me for more updates on this podcast and the Talking Appalachian podcast @talkingappalachian on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube.

Want early access, bonus episodes, and stickers? Become a subscriber in the Talking Appalachian/Southern Salon podcast community.