Posted inFolklore News & History
Jo Ann’s Corner: Majesty of the Stove
Good morning. Welcome to Jo Ann's Virtual Café 2021. Come on in and help yourself to a breakfast beverage. Let’s talk. There are several items that we need to use…
Posted inNews & History
Guns: An Appalachian Love Story
TW: Suicide, gun violence, mental distress. “Uncle Ricky is dead.” I could tell by her face that my mom was working to control her emotions as I stood processing her…
Posted inNews & History
Origins of a Movement
I started my life as an activist back in 1996. It was then that I arrived at the University of Tennessee to attend school, and that fall, I volunteered in…
Posted inNews & History
An Interview with Shannon Herron of Dogwood Arts
The Dogwood Arts Alliance is a 67-year-old nonprofit organization based in Knoxville, Tennessee, that promotes local artists, flora and fauna, and communities. For more information, here's their website. Q: What's…
Posted inNews & History
Strange Times in Appalachia
We live in a strange time here in Appalachia today. At best, we are governed by uninformed and unempathetic leaders who don’t see improving their constituents’ lives as a priority.…
Posted inNews & History
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Our Troubled Waters
When we search for evidence of life on other planets, we look for the building blocks of life. We look for water. Without water life on Earth ceases to exist.…
Posted inNews & History
A Reflection on Identity
I can still remember my high school history teacher pleading with the students in the room to consider their Appalachian identity. Impassioned, Dr. Banker strongly believed that young people not…
Posted inFolklore News & History
Jo Ann’s Corner: Ku wa hi or Clingman’s Dome?
Let's talk. You know, there is an interesting situation going on in the Smokies. The Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians is considering a resolution asking that Clingman's Dome be…
Posted inNews & History
The Opioid Crisis Is Not the Opioid Crisis
Most folks who talk about “Appalachia” have never actually visited. They romanticize us all as Loretta Lynn or Dolly Parton, growing up in isolated log cabins surrounded by tall trees,…
Posted inNews & History
Springtime to Hike in East Tennessee
Remember, safety always comes first. Know your limits. Be aware of your surroundings. Getting hurt while in the woods or mountains is no fun and can risk the safety of…