In this episode, I explore the word "hillbilly" with native Kentuckian and documentary filmmaker Ashley York, who co-directed the award-winning film by the same name in 2018. I talk about the history of the word first, and then Ashley and I discuss what it was like to return to central Appalachia to interview family, friends, and "heroes" as she unpacked this complicated word against the backdrop of the 2016 election. We also talk about her interview and friendship with Billy Redden, who played the banjo-pickin' boy in the 1972 film Deliverance. We discuss what "Hillbilly" means in a new election season, and her plans for a follow-up film.

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Ivy Attic Co
Jewelry from coal, river glass, and discarded books handcrafted in the central Appalachian Mountains

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"Hillbilly" and an Interview with Journalist and Documentary Filmmaker Ashley York