Nicole Musgrave

This week on Inside Appalachia, we look back at some of the stories we told in 2022. We took you to the floods in eastern Kentucky, where you met people who witnessed terrible destruction. We also invited you along as we talked to Appalachians who know a little something about resilience, like Dolly Parton. Because you invited us into your homes, we invited you into ours with a special trip to Mason’s hometown — Floyd, Virginia.

On July 28, communities all over southeast Kentucky were hit with unprecedented flooding. People lost homes, cars, family photos. Many musicians lost instruments, and that meant they couldn’t participate in cultural traditions that define their lives. But through the generosity of community members, some musicians have been able to reconnect with their music practice, finding comfort and even joy.

This week on Inside Appalachia, we talk with contributors to a new collection of writing by LGBTQ Appalachians — about how they see themselves reflected here in the region. We also hear about the history of baseball in the coal camps of southwestern Virginia and we return to flood damaged eastern Kentucky and meet gospel musician Dean McBee.

Lots of people live with common household objects like furniture, silverware, and rugs. But for many of us, we seldom think about who makes these items, or where to turn when they’re in need of repair. One man in Kingsport, Tennessee has been building and repairing carpets and rugs for over 50 years. For Jerry Machen Sr., the business not only provides him with a livelihood, but also an outlet for expressing creativity and an opportunity for discovery.

Dryland fish, Molly moochers, hickory chickens. No matter what you call them, morel mushrooms are a seasonal favorite in many communities throughout Appalachia. And you can often spot morel hunters bragging about their best finds on Facebook or at backyard cookouts. At the Mountain Mushroom Festival in Irvine, Kentucky, several layers of competition are present within the mushroom community there.

Like any traditional song that has endured through generations, there are lots of versions of “John Henry.” There are also many different interpretations of the song. For some people who grew up in Black communities in Appalachia, the song elicits a variety of feelings.

Appalachian old-time music is a confluence of many cultural traditions, including those of Africans and African Americans, Native Americans, and the Scots-Irish. Yet the contributions of Black and Indigenous musicians have often been denied and overlooked. In Floyd County, Virginia one man is working to amplify the participation of Black musicians in old-time music.

One woman in Moorefield, West Virginia didn’t grow up eating pinto beans in her home country of Honduras, but has incorporated them into her cooking since moving to the Mountain State.

In the U.S., rap and hip-hop are usually associated with big cities like New York, L.A., and Atlanta. But hip-hop artists exist all over, including in rural areas. Our Inside Appalachia Folkways reporter Nicole Musgrave spoke with a group of hip-hop artists in the coalfields of Wise County, Virginia who are bringing more public attention to the music they’re making, while supporting other up and coming artists.

Bradford Harris, a 20-year-old punk musician in Kentucky, is using the pandemic downtime to learn something new: making banjos. It led Harris down an unexpected trail.