We're spotlighting the first from Hindman Settlement School's literary and arts magazine Untelling. First, we learn a little about the origins of "untelling" as a word from Professor Amy Clark, then we sit down for a fantastic conversation about submission guidelines and hopes for the future of the magazine with Hindman's Literary Arts Director, Melissa Helton. Melissa has big love for the creative community of Hindman, shouting out writers like Silas House, Pauletta Hansel, and George Ella Lyon.

Finally, we'll hear some poetry and prose from three writers who submitted to the first issue: Rachel Holbrook, Tracy Staley, and Ace Boggess.

In this episode of Mountain Talk, we will get out and about throughout Appalachia to explore the ways in which Appalachian folks have come together to celebrate tradition and diversity via performances of music and storytelling. Join me, Joshua Outsey as I travel to Pound VA to the Red fox storytelling festival to hear local performances of stories and songs being told by local storytellers and musicians.

We will even pop in to Chestnut Grove Missionary Baptist church in Norton VA, which is a historically black church, celebrating it’s 108th anniversary. An occasion which brought together congregants of several churches from eastern Kentucky and southwest VA to join in on the celebration

But first, let’s hang out in the Cumberland Gap for the “Mountain Fiesta”. An event which merges the sounds and flavors of Appalachian string band music with Latin American cuisine and culture, and requires all of the human senses to experience. So without any further delay, allow me to welcome you to the mountain fiesta, or as they say in spanish, “Bienvinido a la Montana fiesta!!!

In this Mountain Talk, we’re diving deep into a topic that’s raising a lot of conversations across Southwest Virginia: Small Modular Reactors, or SMRs. The push for SMRs in the region has brought together a variety of voices, both in favor and against. We'll be hearing from different perspectives, including community leaders, environmentalists, and even Virginia Energy representatives.

Getting the news you have type 2 diabetes can be hard enough on its own. But for Teresa Hylton, of Letcher County, not only was her diagnosis a surprise, but she also had an extra layer of stress from the jump— Teresa is a survivor of kidney cancer, and the treatment for this cancer left her with just one kidney. Which meant that she would now be managing a complex disease, which affects the whole body, without the full strength of both of her kidneys. But this wasn't the end of Teresa's diabetes story. And in this episode of Mountain Talk, the latest in our storytelling series Prevent Diabetes EKY, we hear about changes Teresa has made to her daily routine that have her feeling better— and her blood sugar levels back under control.

Also in this episode: given that it's getting to be election season here in the mountains, we close with a radio adaptation of the 1982 Appalshop film The Big Lever, directed by Frances Morton. The film paints a vivid portrait of a colorful era in mountain politics, and these excerpts in particular focus on the 1981 Republican Primary for County Judge-Executive in Leslie County, a race between C. Allen Muncy and George Wooton.

This week on Mountain Talk we take you to a recent event hosted by Patchwork Kinfolks at The Jettie Baker Center, The Composed Appalachian Anna Mullins with musical guests Foddershock. Anna has been documenting life in Appalachia for the past few years. Patchworks Kinfolks reached out and they put on this event in Clintwood, Va. Anna’s photos evoke a strong feeling of home. There is also a special musical performance with Foddershock featuring their primary songwriter, poet Tony “AK” Mullins. Foddershock is a local alt-country rock group also based in Clintwood, Va. We were very pleased to document this special night. We hope you enjoy!

A gathering of Naturalists took place during The Outdoor Festival at the High Knob Recreation area in Norton VA, commemorating the opening of the Botanical and medicinal Story Walk monument, housed along the core loop trail system located within the Recreation area, The project, which was Funded by a grant from Monuments across Appalachian Virginia, aims to reclaim and rename the coalfields of Southwest VA, by placing less of an emphasis on the historically menacing extractive coal economy and by highlighting the biodiversity of the rainforests in the region while centering the native plants that grow here. According to Shannon Bell, the Project’s lead Coordinator, there is a multi-billion dollar market of medicinal and herbal products like Ginseng, and Goldenseal, which grow right here in our local forests and throughout and around central Appalachia, and Specifically, Southwest VA. Joining Shannon on the walk were a concentrated group of Herbalists, Forest Farmers, and other professionals who served as contributors to the project, gave a tour and guided the Event attendees around the trails.

A little known fact, before assuming my current Position as a staff Board member and a content producer for WMMT and Appalshop, I worked along the very same trails as an assistant trail builder to Shane fields the trail system Coordinator. In this episode of Mountain talk join me as we interview, Shannon, And other contributors, I even get to have a reunion with Shayne on a trail while it was under construction.

There are so many things that can keep us from being healthy that don't have anything to do with our bodies. There’s finding insurance, finding a doctor, navigating the red tape around what your insurance or Medicare will cover, affording your medication, *getting* to the doctor in the first place (especially if you don't have transportation)... and the list goes on. And because of these barriers, so many people—including folks here in the mountains—go without the care they need.

But this is where the concept of a Community Health Worker, or a CHW, comes in. A CHW is not a doctor— they’re certified members of the community who are specially trained to walk alongside you as you navigate medical issues, and to help connect you with the care and resources you might need. So, they won’t diagnose you with a disease, for example, but they might talk to you about what you’re dealing with, and help you make an appointment with a doctor who *can* diagnose you. Or if you’re having a hard time even thinking about your health because you’re behind on your electric bill, they might connect you with a program to help you afford that power bill, so you can be freed up to start planning things like getting to the doctor.

In this episode of Mountain Talk, we have a conversation with one of these community health workers from right here in the mountains— Samantha Bowman, of Lee County. Samantha is a CHW with Kentucky Homeplace, an organization that places community health workers in some 32 different east Kentucky counties. We sat down with Samantha recently to hear about her work, and the different health needs that she helps people with, every day—and free of charge—in Lee County.

Over the past year or so, we here at Appalshop have been conducting an oral history project with Black neighbors and kinfolks across East Kentucky, to help both document and spotlight the lives & experiences of Black Appalachians. And in this edition of Mountain Talk, we bring you one of these oral history interviews— with the Rev. Steve Peake, of Letcher County. In this conversation, which was led by Appalshop's Tiffany Sturdivant and Mimi Pickering, we hear Rev. Peake talk about everything from hauling water to the house by hand when he was growing up, to being a student during integration in Letcher County, and then to being called into the ministry.

In this episode of Mountain Talk, first we hear from WMMT's 2024 Robertson Scholar, Gaby Hinckle. Gaby spent six weeks with the station, picking up broadcast and audio production skills along the way. She also hoped to speak with people in our community about a handful of pressing issues, primarily interested in how national problems affect community members in our immediate area and the region. This is her Mountain Talk debut.

In the second half, we have another Mountain Talk debut with Joshua Outsey, Appalshop employee and WMMT audio producer, who brought together a fantastic interview between J.K. Turner and Sistah Zock, one of the artists featured on our No Options: Hip-Hop in Appalachia, available now on all streaming platforms and online at juneappalrecordings.bandcamp.com. This episode features music from the compilation, including "Virginia is For Lovers" by Joshua Outsey and "LOVE" by Sistah Zock.

From a busy week on Mountain Talk! First, we’ll chat with Wes Addington of Appalachian Citizen’s Law Center about the historic silica ruling from Mine Safety and Health Administration, MSHA, published on April 18, 2024. Then, we’ll sit down with former WMMT reporter Katie Myers to talk about some of recent work with Grist, and then we’ll check in with Appalshop’s Oral History project, Appalhealth, to hear from Perry County resident Darryl "Dee" Parker, recruitment specialist at Hazard Community and Technical College.