Podcast
The Talking Appalachian Podcast
Hosted by Amy D. Clark · EN
Talking Appalachian is a podcast about the Appalachian Mountain region's language or "voiceplaces," cultures, and communities. The podcast is hosted by Dr. Amy Clark, a Professor of Communication Studies and Director of the Center for Appalachian Studies at the University of Virginia's College at Wise. The podcast is based on her 2013 co-edited book Talking Appalachian: Voice, Identity, and Community. Her writing on Appalachia has appeared in the New York Times, Oxford American Magazine, Salon.com, on NPR, and Harvard University Press blog. She is also founder and director of the Appalachian Writing Project, which serves teachers, students, and the communities of the central Appalachian region.
27episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Appalachia's Old Christmas, New Year's Traditions and Superstitions, and "Untelling"
Dec 3000:06:48Tap to summarizeWhat did you think of this episode?In this edited episode revisit, we talk about Old Christmas (or "Little Christmas) that many Appalachians still celebrate on January 6th. We'll also talk about favorite New Year's foods for luck (like Hoppin' John) and how to avoid bad luck (don't do laundry or sweep.) Then we'll talking about the word "untelling," as in "It's untelling what 2026 will bring, but I hope it's all good things!"Happy Old Christmas and Happy New Year!Ivy Attic CoJewelry from coal, river glass, and discarded books handcrafted in the central Appalachian MountainsDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show*Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and review the podcast (if you like it)! *Support the show by sharing links to episodes on social*Subscribe to support the podcast on the Facebook Talking Appalachian page, or here at our Patreon page to get bonus content:Talking Appalachian Podcast | Covering the Appalachian Region from North to South | Patreon*Follow and message me on IG, FB, YouTube: @talkingappalachian*To sponsor an episode or collaborate: talkingappalachianpodcast@gmail.com or message me at the link here or on social.Unless another artist is featured, acoustic music on most episodes: "Freight Train" written by Elizabeth Cotten and performed by Landon Spain
Transcribe →Bless Your Heart: The Journey to Understanding and Embracing Our Appalachian Voiceplaces
Dec 400:32:44Tap to summarizeWhat did you think of this episode?In this episode, I'm joined by an Appalachian artist and fourth-year UVA-Wise student Bailey Lantman who shares her journey of discovering the academic study of her regional dialect and heritage. We talk about the importance of preserving Appalachian voices, the influence of family and regional history on her identity, and the experience of embracing her dialect in various settings (including New York Fashion Week.) Bailey reads her published poem 'Bless Your Heart and Other Acts of Rebellion,' which reflects the inherent literary quality of Appalachian speech. The episode concludes with listener stories about their *voiceplaces and the impact of dialect on their lives.00:00 Introduction and Poetry01:49 Bailey's Appalachian Heritage03:59 Academic Journey and Inspirations07:06 Appalachian Identity in New York08:24 Voice Place and Code Switching17:13 Bailey's Poem: Bless Your Heart27:12 Listener ResponsesShare your own voiceplace via audio or email at talkingappalachianpodcast@gmail.com*"Voiceplace" is a word created by Kentucky author George Ella LyonSupport the show*Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and review the podcast (if you like it)! *Support the show by sharing links to episodes on social*Subscribe to support the podcast on the Facebook Talking Appalachian page, or here at our Patreon page to get bonus content:Talking Appalachian Podcast | Covering the Appalachian Region from North to South | Patreon*Follow and message me on IG, FB, YouTube: @talkingappalachian*To sponsor an episode or collaborate: talkingappalachianpodcast@gmail.com or message me at the link here or on social.Unless another artist is featured, acoustic music on most episodes: "Freight Train" written by Elizabeth Cotten and performed by Landon Spain
Transcribe →In Conversation with Ron Rash: The Caretaker and Appalachian Narratives
Nov 2600:39:40Tap to summarizeWhat did you think of this episode?*This episode first aired in 2023*Bestselling author and Western North Carolinian Ron Rash joins the Talking Appalachian podcast to discuss his latest novel, The Caretaker. Amy explores Rash's extensive body of work, including his contributions to Talking Appalachian (the book), the significance of dialect and voice in his writing, and his fascination with cemeteries and family stories. The conversation delves into the emotional core of Rash's novels, the influence of his Appalachian upbringing, and the profound moments of human connection that shape his storytelling.00:45 Ron Rash's Contributions and Background01:28 Discussion on Ron Rash's Works and Achievements03:12 Ron Rash's New Novel: The Caretaker05:12 Exploring Themes and Characters in The Caretaker12:17 The Role of Voice and Dialect in Writing16:23 The Significance of Work in Fiction20:58 Excitement for the New Book21:35 Cemetery Stories and Family Memories24:17 Gravestones and Their Meanings26:25 The Corpse Bird and Superstitions28:40 Writing About Family and Appalachia29:59 Appalachian Culture and Personal Reflections32:25 Memories of Tweety Railroad and Family34:43 Poetry and Personal Loss38:07 Final ThoughtsIvy Attic CoJewelry from coal, river glass, and discarded books handcrafted in the central Appalachian MountainsDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show*Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and review the podcast (if you like it)! *Support the show by sharing links to episodes on social*Subscribe to support the podcast on the Facebook Talking Appalachian page, or here at our Patreon page to get bonus content:Talking Appalachian Podcast | Covering the Appalachian Region from North to South | Patreon*Follow and message me on IG, FB, YouTube: @talkingappalachian*To sponsor an episode or collaborate: talkingappalachianpodcast@gmail.com or message me at the link here or on social.Unless another artist is featured, acoustic music on most episodes: "Freight Train" written by Elizabeth Cotten and performed by Landon Spain
Transcribe →Homer Hickam: From Rocket Boy to Bestselling Writer
Nov 500:47:19Tap to summarizeWhat did you think of this episode?Renowned author of 19 books and former NASA engineer Homer Hickam sits down with me and a few students at UVA's College at Wise to talk about his journey from the coalfields of West Virginia to becoming a celebrated author and esteemed engineer. In this episode, Hickam shares his experiences writing Rocket Boys and other books, the inspiration to write both fiction and nonfiction, and his most memorable projects at NASA. He also discusses his encounters with industry icons, the challenges and rewards of different genres, and offers practical advice to aspiring writers and engineers. Hickam recalls stories about the making of the ''October Sky'' movie and thoughts on the evolving publishing industry.Support the show*Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and review the podcast (if you like it)! *Support the show by sharing links to episodes on social*Subscribe to support the podcast on the Facebook Talking Appalachian page, or here at our Patreon page to get bonus content:Talking Appalachian Podcast | Covering the Appalachian Region from North to South | Patreon*Follow and message me on IG, FB, YouTube: @talkingappalachian*To sponsor an episode or collaborate: talkingappalachianpodcast@gmail.com or message me at the link here or on social.Unless another artist is featured, acoustic music on most episodes: "Freight Train" written by Elizabeth Cotten and performed by Landon Spain
Transcribe →The Last Run: Molasses-Making in the Mountains
Oct 3000:07:42Tap to summarizeWhat did you think of this episode?*From the Season 1 Archive*"Molassey," as that smoky, syrupy mixture is known in central Appalachia, is a dying tradition. Appalachians call the process of making molasses a 'stir-off,' and everybody in the community would come by to help or sit around the boiling pan and talk.The word 'molasses' becomes 'lasses' or 'molassey' in the local dialect, a vernacular blend resulting from English, German, and Scotch-Irish migrants who flooded the Appalachian mountains in the 18th and 19th centuries. Molasses-making was an annual event every October in my family for years, so I'm sharing the process of a molasses 'run' from the podcast archive to talk about why we count it among our favorite memories.Dialect source: Dictionary of American Regional EnglishIvy Attic CoJewelry from coal, river glass, and discarded books handcrafted in the central Appalachian MountainsDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show*Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and review the podcast (if you like it)! *Support the show by sharing links to episodes on social*Subscribe to support the podcast on the Facebook Talking Appalachian page, or here at our Patreon page to get bonus content:Talking Appalachian Podcast | Covering the Appalachian Region from North to South | Patreon*Follow and message me on IG, FB, YouTube: @talkingappalachian*To sponsor an episode or collaborate: talkingappalachianpodcast@gmail.com or message me at the link here or on social.Unless another artist is featured, acoustic music on most episodes: "Freight Train" written by Elizabeth Cotten and performed by Landon Spain
Transcribe →The "Re-Storification" of Appalachia with Jeff Biggers
Oct 1700:31:55Tap to summarizeWhat did you think of this episode?Jeff Biggers is the author of The United States of Appalachia, In Sardina, Trials of a Scourge, and many more. You've heard me discuss his work on the podcast, particularly in New England, where we visited the grave of Washington Irving, who first proposed that the country's name be changed from "America" to "Appalachia." Biggers' book, published 20 years ago, is a "re-storification" of Appalachia, as he puts it. He seeks to reveal the innovators in music, literature, resistance, and politics who are almost never associated with the region but were born and sometimes shaped here.In this bonus episode, Jeff met with members of a class I teach at UVA-Wise, where he recounted meeting the great Don West as a 19-year-old hitchhiker. His education about Appalachia began with this meeting, when West started asking a series of questions with "Did you know....?"Biggers didn't know any of what West told him about Appalachia, but that meeting made him question why he didn't know.Did you know that Nina Simone, from Appalachian North Carolina, sang "Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair" in New York City? It was a mountain ballad she learned growing up.Did you know the first woman to win the Nobel prize for literature was born in West Virginia?Did you know the first abolitionist newspaper was founded in east Tennessee, where Rosa Parks trained in nonviolent protest four months before she refused to give up her seat on that bus?Biggers discusses how his journey took him from Appalachia and across the world, most notably to Italy where he saw familiar themes in the way people from particular areas were perceived. The loss of his family's farm brought him back to Appalachia for a reckoning with what happens when land that is generations-old is erased.Support the show*Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and review the podcast (if you like it)! *Support the show by sharing links to episodes on social*Subscribe to support the podcast on the Facebook Talking Appalachian page, or here at our Patreon page to get bonus content:Talking Appalachian Podcast | Covering the Appalachian Region from North to South | Patreon*Follow and message me on IG, FB, YouTube: @talkingappalachian*To sponsor an episode or collaborate: talkingappalachianpodcast@gmail.com or message me at the link here or on social.Unless another artist is featured, acoustic music on most episodes: "Freight Train" written by Elizabeth Cotten and performed by Landon Spain
Transcribe →The Folklore and Custom of "Telling the Bees"
Sep 2200:11:23Tap to summarizeWhat did you think of this episode?What does it mean to “tell the bees”? In this episode, we explore a centuries-old European custom carried into Appalachia by Scots-Irish, English, Welsh, and German settlers. Families once whispered news of births, marriages, and deaths to their hives, sometimes draping them in black cloth or feeding them bits of funeral cake.Through oral histories and folklore, we trace how "telling the bees" became part of Appalachian death lore and what it reveals about a worldview where nature and humanity were kin. Finally, I'll share a poem by Jane Hicks inspired by this tradition.Sources: John Greenleaf Whittier, “Telling the Bees” (1858); Leonard Roberts, South from Hell-fer-Sartin (1955); Richard Chase, The Jack Tales (1943); Loyal Jones, Appalachian Values (1995) Ivy Attic CoJewelry from coal, river glass, and discarded books handcrafted in the central Appalachian MountainsDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show*Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and review the podcast (if you like it)! *Support the show by sharing links to episodes on social*Subscribe to support the podcast on the Facebook Talking Appalachian page, or here at our Patreon page to get bonus content:Talking Appalachian Podcast | Covering the Appalachian Region from North to South | Patreon*Follow and message me on IG, FB, YouTube: @talkingappalachian*To sponsor an episode or collaborate: talkingappalachianpodcast@gmail.com or message me at the link here or on social.Unless another artist is featured, acoustic music on most episodes: "Freight Train" written by Elizabeth Cotten and performed by Landon Spain
Transcribe →The Christmas Poke, a Hard Candy Christmas, Old Christmas, and Animals Praying at Midnight in Appalachia
Dec 19, 202400:20:19Tap to summarizeWhat did you think of this episode?We're exploring some Appalachian Christmas traditions in this episode from The Christmas poke, or treat bag, to the term "Hard Candy Christmas," made popular in a Dolly Parton song. We'll also talk about Old Christmas, its origins, and why people still recognize January 6th as the one true Christmas Day.Support the show*Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and review us (if you like it)! *Support the show by sharing links to episodes on social*Subscribe to support us on the Facebook Talking Appalachian page, or here at our Patreon page to get bonus content:Talking Appalachian Podcast | Covering the Appalachian Region from North to South | Patreon*Paypal to support the show: @amyclarkspain*Follow and message me on IG, FB, YouTube: @talkingappalachian*To sponsor an episode or collaborate: aclark@virginia.edu or message me at the link here or on social.Unless another artist is featured, acoustic music on most episodes: "Steam Train" written by Elizabeth Cotten and performed by Landon Spain
Transcribe →Graveyards, Famous Houses, and an Inspirational Mailbox in the Middle of Nowhere: Sleepy Hollow to Sunset Beach
Dec 6, 202400:28:20Tap to summarizeWhat did you think of this episode?In this places and spaces episode that starts in the northern reaches of the Appalachian plateau, we travel from quaint Sleepy Hollow, New York to the serene sands of Sunset Beach, North Carolina, uncovering stories of history, literature, and connection (in a special little mailbox) along the way.This adventure begins in the Hudson Valley, where we explore the legacy of Washington Irving, the author behind The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. From the Old Dutch Church to the unmarked grave of the mysterious Hulda of Bohemia, we delve into the folklore that inspired one of America's most enduring ghost stories. Next, we travel to Connecticut, where we uncover fascinating facts about Mark Twain at his Victorian mansion in Hartford. The home where Twain wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn offers a glimpse into his creative genius, as well as the personal struggles that shaped his work.Finally, we head south to the peaceful shores of Sunset Beach, where we discover the Kindred Spirit Mailbox. Nestled in the dunes, this unassuming mailbox has served as a place of solace for visitors for over 45 years. Join us as we reflect on the power of words and the beauty of a simple mailbox that connects strangers through shared stories. Listen in as I talk with one of the mailbox Keepers.Whether you're a fan of ghost stories, literary history, or heartfelt reflections, this episode has something for you. Tune in for a journey of connection, inspiration, and the spirit of Appalachia.Links:Visit the Kindred Spirit Mailbox at Sunset BeachLearn more about Washington Irving and Sleepy HollowExplore the Mark Twain House in Hartford, ConnecticutSupport the show*Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and review us (if you like it)! *Support the show by sharing links to episodes on social*Subscribe to support us on the Facebook Talking Appalachian page, or here at our Patreon page to get bonus content:Talking Appalachian Podcast | Covering the Appalachian Region from North to South | Patreon*Paypal to support the show: @amyclarkspain*Follow and message me on IG, FB, YouTube: @talkingappalachian*To sponsor an episode or collaborate: aclark@virginia.edu or message me at the link here or on social.Unless another artist is featured, acoustic music on most episodes: "Steam Train" written by Elizabeth Cotten and performed by Landon Spain
Transcribe →What Do We Mean by 'Directly' and 'Needs Washed'?
Nov 13, 202400:09:07Tap to summarizeWhat did you think of this episode?This episode is about a word and a phrase that are still commonly used in the Appalachian region. First, I'll offer a little refresher on what makes up a dialect and how these words fit in. We'll talk about "directly" as in "I'll be there directly" and the phrase needs + a participle (like washed.) Who uses them and where? What's the history behind them? And how should teachers treat words and phrases like this if they appear in their students' writing?Sources for this episode: The Yale Grammatical Diversity Project, the Dictionary of American Regional English, and Talking Appalachian: Voice, Identity, and Community (Eds. Clark and Hayward, 2014).Ivy Attic CoJewelry from coal, river glass, and discarded books handcrafted in the central Appalachian MountainsDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show*Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and review us (if you like it)! *Support the show by sharing links to episodes on social*Subscribe to support us on the Facebook Talking Appalachian page, or here at our Patreon page to get bonus content:Talking Appalachian Podcast | Covering the Appalachian Region from North to South | Patreon*Paypal to support the show: @amyclarkspain*Follow and message me on IG, FB, YouTube: @talkingappalachian*To sponsor an episode or collaborate: aclark@virginia.edu or message me at the link here or on social.Unless another artist is featured, acoustic music on most episodes: "Steam Train" written by Elizabeth Cotten and performed by Landon Spain
Transcribe →