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…
Posted inNews & History
The Housing Crisis in Knoxville
I am one of those people who recently moved from Los Angeles and bought a home in Tennessee. I feel so defensive about this that I lied to my pest…
Posted inNews & History
The Battle of Athens
This is my recollection of the events leading up to, and of, August 1, 1946, and how I came to know about these things. I was raised in Athens, Tennessee,…
Posted inNews & History
The Price of Power: How the TVA Impacted Economic Development in East Tennessee
Since the 1940s, the counties of Union and Grainger in East Tennessee have been subject to economic development projects that have been met with opposition. Evidence highlights this opposition was…
Posted inNews & History
The Appalachian Question: A Historico-economic Analysis
Appalachia is a cultural region in the eastern United States, nestled in the center of the Appalachian Mountains. The region and its people are some of the most misunderstood in…
Posted inFolklore News & History
Appalachian Thanksgiving at the Ernest Fort House
Did you know that the Earnest Fort house is one of the oldest houses in Tennessee? The Earnest Fort house, located on the banks of the Nolichucky River in Greene…