Inside Appalachia

Something About The Water In Berkeley Springs There are natural springs all over Appalachia. The deep folds of rock that make up our mountains bring water from the depths to trickle out of our hillsides. That's where many people got their fresh water in the years before indoor plumbing. But in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, people are still filling jugs with spring water to lug back home. Why? Folkways reporter Zack Harold decided to fish around for some answers. Keeping the Fires Lit On The Cass Railroad Since 2019, our folkways team has produced more than 100 stories about Appalachian folklife — that is, traditions that are being passed down from one generation to the next. Passing down those traditions is important. In our story about the Cass Railroad, you’ll meet railroad senior employee Rex Cassell. He passed away during the making of this story. But during his life, he was a crucial part of why visiting the Cass Railroad in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, feels like you’re stepping back in time. Folkways Reporter Lauren Griffin brought us this story. “Lark Ascending” Amid extreme weather events like floods and fires, a new literary genre is emerging, called cli-fi. Short for climate fiction. Cli-fi tells stories about the effects of climate change on people and society. And Appalachian writers are penning their own works in the genre, including one of the region’s premier writers, Kentucky author Silas House. His new novel is “Lark Ascending” which tells the story of a climate refugee from Appalachia.   The Message Behind The Music At “Healing Appalachia” The Healing Appalachia music festival returned to Greenbrier County in September. Headlined by eastern Kentucky’s Tyler Childers, the festival went from a single day to two and included performances by Arlo McKinley, Margot Price and Galactic, among others.  But the festival has a larger mission than just having a good time. Producer Bill Lynch spoke with organizer Charlie Hatcher about what the festival hopes to accomplish. Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Appalachian Road Show, The Company Stores, June Carter Cash and Tyler Childers. Bill Lynch is our producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. Zander Aloi also helped produce this episode.

This week, a poet and musician draws inspiration from a distant family connection to the Grand Ole Opry’s Little Jimmy Dickens.Also, for 15 years, a Virginia library has been hosting a weekly Dungeons & Dragons game for teens. It can get wacky.And, a taxidermist in Yadkin County, North Carolina found her calling before she could drive a car. 

This week, one thing about Appalachians: we can get competitive. We’re proud of our local food. Love a good hunt. And enjoy competition with friends.  We learn the rules and celebrate our victories.But there’s more to competing than just winning or losing. In this show, we’ll also meet competitors who are keepers of beloved Appalachian traditions. 

Our Common Nature is a new podcast from WNYC. It features cellist Yo-Yo Ma and producer Ana Gonzalez, as they explore America and talk to folks like West Virginia coal miners.This week, we follow Yo-Yo and his team as they venture into Appalachia. And we talk with Gonzalez about meeting people where they are.  

This week, the cost of health insurance is going up in 2026. Millions of people are faced with sticker shock.Also, a mountain farmer kept an encrypted diary for years. It’s unclear whether he would have wanted that code to ever be cracked. And, a beloved West Virginia hot dog restaurant closed in 2018. An annual tribute sale gives people a chance to relive its glory days.

This week Inside Appalachia, we’re talking about traditional ballads - how they tell stories and connect us to the past. These old tunes can mean so much. They can tap into difficult emotions and give feelings space to be heard. Some songs may even be too uncomfortable to sing.In this special episode with guest co-host, ballad singer Saro Lynch-Thomason, we explore songs about lawbreaking folk heroes, runaway trains and murder ballads.

This week, central Appalachia is known for exporting coal. But it's losing people, too. Also, folk singer Ginny Hawker grew up singing the hymns of the Primitive Baptist Church, but she didn’t think of performing until she got a little boost from Appalachian icon Hazel Dickens. And, the chef of an award-winning Asheville restaurant was shaped by memories of growing up in West Virginia.

Just in time for Halloween, a suite of spooky tales to make your skin crawl.  Also, tales of the supernatural.And, ghost stories galore.You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

This week, a new novel about two girls and an astronomy textbook draws inspiration from one of the quietest places in West Virginia.Also, author Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle talks about growing up as part of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.And, a Kentucky tattoo artist practices traditional tattooing and traditional music. He says they’re not too different. 

We explore the story of the first Mothman sightings, as written by a small-town journalist in 1966.Also, every year, hundreds of people celebrate Bridge Day by parachuting from the 876-foot-tall New River Gorge bridge. But not just anyone can do it. And, the Columbus Washboard Company used to make washboards for laundry. Now, people use them to make music.You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

This week, it’s been a year since Hurricane Helene barreled into central Appalachia. The storm caused floods and landslides. The disaster changed the shape of rivers. It also took lives and upended entire communities, but from the beginning, the recovery brought people together.Also, country music’s Rob McNurlin grew up with traditional music in Eastern Kentucky. His friend Marty Stuart says he’s a folk hero. And we check up on Virginia rapper and producer Byron Mack. 

This week, COVID-19 exposed the contempt society has for marginalized people. The author of a new book says these folks are anything but passive.Also, rock climbers with disabilities have found a home in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, which offers some pumpy crags.And, the online world of Appalachian memes, and what they tell us about the folks who live here. 

This week, for nearly a century, the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival has staged a formal dance. Organizers rely on a manual that’s been passed down for generations. Also, abortion is illegal in most cases in Tennessee. So, what happens after a birth? A photographer followed one mother for a year. And new prisons are touted as a way to bring jobs to former coal communities. Not everybody agrees the trade-off is worth it.

Hop aboard the Cass Scenic Railroad for a visit with the people who keep the steam trains running.Also, we head to the woods and take a master class in foraging for wild mushrooms.And, the makers of Angelo's Old World Italian Sausage still use a century-old family recipe. Customers love it. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

This week, we remember Rex Stephenson. He’s known for his stage performances of the Jack Tales, which have captivated school kids since the 70s. Also, keeping the family farm going after six generations can be rough.And, some parts of southern Appalachia still practice the tradition of keeping up community gravesites for Decoration Day.

This week, the federal government has taken back millions of dollars set aside for public radio stations. Allegheny Mountain Radio is among the rural stations fighting to stay on the air.Also, a book by a West Virginia artist illustrates the tiny worlds of mountain critters, like a lizard that changes color.And, geocaching gets folks outside to play detective and find hidden treasures.

This week, we speak with the author of a new graphic novel about the West Virginia Mine Wars. The labor struggle culminated in the largest armed uprising since the Civil War.Also, professional storyteller James Froemel invents quirky characters, like a sign maker who can’t spell. Froemel’s stories are drawn from small town life.And, one of the most common animals to get hit by cars are opossums. But there’s a kind of animal rescue called pouch picking. We talk with author Laura Jackson. 

This week, a Tennessee DJ takes us on a tour of Appalachian punk and metal.Also, Appalachian culture is enriched by its immigrants. We explore the fusion of West Virginia and Japan. And Appalachia isn’t all punk rock and Japanese food. There’s also string band music.

In troubled times, the outdoors can offer peace. We talk with a West Virginia writer about her new collection of essays. Also, modern technology makes firing pottery a lot easier, but some potters in North Carolina still do it the old way. And, East Tennessee’s Amythyst Kiah’s latest album contemplates the cosmos.

This week — after a disaster, can comics help set the record straight? We talk with the founder of the Appalachian Comics Project.Also, in Western North Carolina, a new generation of Cherokee potters are keeping old traditions, while shaping a modern practice all their own. And … schoolyard games come and go, but for kids in one community, marbles still rule.