We lost a giant last month, when the great Gurney Norman passed on, at age 88. A native of Perry County, Kentucky, Gurney was maybe best-known as a singular, groundbreaking writer, especially as the author of the books Divine Right’s Trip, Kinfolks, and Allegiance. But he was also *so* many things, including a community arts organizer, a filmmaker, a longtime teacher at the University of Kentucky, and a mentor to a truly staggering number of young writers and artists all across the region.

He was also a longtime good friend, and co-conspirator, of ours here at Appalshop. And so, for this week’s show, we wanted to share a special part of his legacy with us here at the 'Shop: an amazing piece of work called Ancient Creek.

Originally released by our own June Appal Records as a spoken-word album back in 1976, Ancient Creek is a rollicking, one-of-a-kind folktale—read by Gurney himself, before a live audience—that exists within the greater Appalachian 'Jack Tale' tradition, but also blazes its own ground, in the way that only Gurney could. It tells the story of: King Condominium III; a mountainous hill region (which just so happens to sound a lot like Appalachia) that has suffered at the hands of the King; and, ultimately, the uncrushable spirit of a group of “upstart hillbillies" who decide to fight back.

And, in honor of Gurney, in this edition of Mountain Talk, we bring you—in full—Gurney's own reading of this truly special story. As a note: this version was drawn from the original LP release; Ancient Creek was also re-released on CD in 2012, and it’s also available in print from Ohio University Press.

(Music in today’s show was by John McCutcheon, from the June Appal Records release “The Wind that Shakes the Barley,” and by Don Bikoff, from the Free Music Archive.)

This week on Mountain Talk, in honor of Hallowe’en (yes, on this show, we use the apostrophe), we’ve got a whole show full of ‘haint’ tales and spooky stories, told by mountain people, from across the Appalshop & WMMT archives. We’ll hear about a spirit appearing to Letcher County logging workers in the 1930’s; a hungry witch, who shows up out of thin air at a remote campfire; a bossy ghost; someone seeing the devil on her bedroom ceiling; an angel who shows up needing a place to crash for the night; and even a mysterious blue light that appeared one night to Letcher Co. master banjo player Morgan Sexton. Among the many voices featured this week are that of Knott Co.’s Florida Slone, and the nationally-renowned North Carolina storyteller Ray Hicks.

(Music in this episode is from: Tommy Hunter, from the record “Deep in Tradition” on our own June Appal Records; Morgan Sexton, from the record “Rock Dust,” also on June Appal; and by Debbie Grim, from the June Appal record “Banjer Days.” All three of these records can be purchased or streamed for free at our Bandcamp page: https://juneappalrecordings.bandcamp.com/.)

Anyone in the WMMT listening area probably needs no introduction to the notion of substance use disorder, and just the massive and overwhelming toll it’s had on Appalachian people, and communities.

Here at WMMT, we’ve partnered with the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky to be a part of their statewide FREE II project, which, among other goals, is trying to raise awareness and reduce the stigma around substance use disorder, treatment, and recovery. As part of this work, WMMT will be airing a brand-new podcast series over the coming months all about substance use disorder and recovery here in the mountains.

In this edition of Mountain Talk, we bring you the very first episode of this new series, a roundtable discussion between several Appalachian people, who are all actively in recovery. In this candid conversation, hosted by FREE II Intern Austin Callahan, we hear their stories, and about what led them to take that crucial step of getting into recovery; we also hear about how trauma can play a role in addiction. These voices you’ll hear are that of local residents Samantha Colleen, Chris Campbell, Beckie Rose-Bowman, Iesha Elam, and Austin Callahan.

Stay tuned in coming months for more episodes from this series!

(Music in today's show was by Malcolm Dalglish & Grey Larsen, from the June Appal Records release "Banish Misfortune," and by Don Bikoff, from the Free Music Archive.)

In this edition of WMMT's Mountain Talk, we have a grab bag of a show.

First, we hear about how the so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill” could affect low-income Kentuckians’ ability to stay enrolled in Medicaid and the SNAP program, through a presentation put on by Kentucky Voices for Health in Hazard last month. For the Cliff's Notes version: via cuts to Medicaid and changes to SNAP, the newly-passed, Trump-backed bill is projected (by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office) to cause ~7 1/2 million people nationwide to lose access to Medicaid, and ~2 1/2 million people across the US to lose access to SNAP.

But then, we shift gears to a topic that is maybe… universally beloved? If such a thing exists in these times. And that, of course, is cornbread. Second on our show, we hear an excellent installment of the Center for Rural Strategies’ Rural Remix podcast series, about that most august of dishes, via an interview with the poet Tina Mozelle Braziel.

And, just in time for our 40th b-day next month, we close things out with some WMMT History, including interviews with Evan Smith (longtime host of the landmark WMMT show "Ska, Punk, & Other Junk") and Randy Wilson (host of the inimitable, long-running WMMT show "Kids' Radio").

(MUSIC IN TODAY'S SHOW comes from: John McCutcheon, from the June Appal Records release "The Wind that Shakes the Barley"; Glenn Jones, via the Free Music Archive; and Don Bikoff, also via the Free Music Archive.)

Even if diabetes runs in your family, if you find out that your own A1C, or blood sugar level, is in the diabetes range, that still doesn’t mean your future with diabetes is set in stone.

And Fannie Callahan, of Lee County, is living proof. 
Despite having a family history of diabetes, when Fannie found out her A1C had crossed over into the diabetes zone, she jumped into action, changing what she ate every day and starting to go out walking as often as she could. Before long, her A1C had fallen back down into a safer range, and, she says, she just felt better in general. This week on Mountain Talk, we visit with Fannie, as part of our ongoing storytelling series Prevent Diabetes EKY, and hear about her diabetes journey— including how, even if she’s exercising more, she still makes time to watch basketball.

Also this week: having immigrants for neighbors is nothing new in Appalachia. We close this episode with a profile of Frank Majority, a Letcher County stone mason of Italian descent, and the son of immigrants. In this piece, which was adapted from an episode of Appalshop’s Headwaters TV series (1983; dir. by Marty Newell, Anne Lewis, & Jeff Kiser), Majority describes his father’s experience as an immigrant to the mountains in the early 20th century.

This week, we head to Wayland, Kentucky, where organizers, researchers, and residents have come together to commemorate the lynching of Fred Shannon — a Black man killed by a mob over 100 years ago.

We’ll share moments from the ceremony, talk with those leading the effort, and reflect on the power of remembrance, community cleanup, and healing through history.

Queerness isn't just something that exists in the city.

Our LGBTQ+ neighbors are an essential part of the fabric of mountain communities. And in this episode of Mountain Talk, in honor of June being national Pride Month, we bring you a special rebroadcast of a set of audio postcards from Pride celebrations right here in our region. In this show, which originally aired in 2022, first, former WMMT producer Katie Myers travels to Pride gatherings in Pikeville & at Breaks Interstate Park; then, we hear a report from former WMMT producer Rae Garringer, from the very-first-ever Pikeville Pride celebration, which took place in 2018.

On this episode of Mewz for Mountain Talk; Sleeping in the Woods Festival, recorded on location in Monticello, Kentucky in the 48 hours after the May 16th tornadoes. Hear the artists, in their own words, describe the feeling of the weekend, and how music can help us process and heal after the unexpected. Featuring conversations with Nicholas Jamerson, Jonathan Smithwick, Tori Forsyth, Cody Christian, and Maya De Vitry, and your host, Crystal Jones.

Scotia Disaster Remembered by WMMT/Appalshop

Today were exploring an eye-opening first segment where well take a closer look at Black Lung Disease, a devastating condition that continues to impact coal miners across the country. We will hear from a seasoned radiologist who’s seen firsthand how the disease progresses, and from a retired coal miner courageously living with it today. Their stories a stark reminder of the human cost behind the coal industry.

But while the toll is great, so is the strength of those who’ve fought — and continue to fight — for the health and dignity of coal miners.

One organization that has stood tall in that fight is the United Mine Workers of America. From pushing for the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 to demanding accountability through the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, the UMWA has been a relentless advocate for miners' rights and safety. Their role in securing benefits for workers suffering from Black Lung can’t be overstated — they’ve helped turn pain into policy