This week, we’re revisiting our episode “What Is Appalachia?” from December 2021. Appalachia connects mountainous parts of the South, the Midwest, the Rust belt and even the Northeast. The Appalachian Regional Commission defined the boundaries for Appalachia in 1965 with the creation of the Appalachian Regional Commision, a part of Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty. It was legislation that sought to expand social welfare, and some localities were eager for the money, while others resisted the designation. The boundaries and definition of Appalachia can now only be changed by an act of Congress.

Politically, Appalachia encompasses 423 counties across 13 states — and West Virginia’s the only state entirely inside the region.

That leaves so much room for geographic and cultural variation, as well as many different views on what Appalachia really is. 

For Inside Appalachia, we turned our entire episode over to the question, “What is Appalachia?” With stories from Mississippi to Pittsburgh, we asked people across our region whether they consider themselves to be Appalachian.

Encore: What Is Appalachia? We Asked People From Around The Region. Here’s What They Said

Rev. George Mills Dickerson of Tazewell, Virginia was born in the years after slavery ended. He’s remembered today through his poetry.

And a new wave of black lung disease is ravaging Appalachia. We’ll hear more from a black lung town hall in Whitesburg, Kentucky. Coal miners have their own thoughts about black lung, too.

Celebrating A Tradition Of Poets And Discussing The Resurgence Of Black Lung, Inside Appalachia

This week, a Virginia Tech researcher challenges deeply held ideas about the purity of natural springs.

Also, meet the folks behind Angelos Old World Italian Sausage. They still use a family recipe that’s been handed down from generation to generation for over a century. Customers love it.

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

Family Recipes, Water Trouble and "Peerless City," Inside Appalachia

This week, Inside Appalachia drops by Flat Five Studio in Salem, Virginia. It had a reputation for recording bluegrass bands, but caught a big break in the early 1990s when the Dave Matthews Band needed a quiet place to record its debut album.

We also learn a little about primordial forests. A patch of woods in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve was recently inducted into the Old Growth Forest Network.

And we visit a small nonprofit company in West Virginia that’s making solar powered light kits for families in war-torn Ukraine.

Flat Five Studio, Old Growth Forests And Trouble at WVU, Inside Appalachia

Appalachians love to compete. Whether it’s recreational league softball, a turkey calling contest or workplace chili cookoffs, Mountain folks are in it to win it.

But there’s more to competing than just winning or losing.

In this show, we’ll meet competitors who are also keepers of beloved Appalachian traditions.

Encore: The Love Of Competition, Inside Appalachia

If you’re hungry for a pepperoni roll in West Virginia, you can find one at just about any gas station, but how did they get so popular? 

In Pennsylvania, the lure of one particular sweet treat gives hikers on the Appalachian Trail a break on their journey and a challenge that requires a strong stomach. 

We also "spill the tea" on a classic roadside attraction that’s been around for generations.

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

Pepperoni Rolls, Ice Cream and The World's Largest Teapot, Inside Appalachia

This week, we visit with West Virginia trappers to learn about the fur trade in the 21st Century.

We also meet a county fair champion who keeps racking up the blue ribbons and has released a cookbook of some of her favorites.

And we hear an update on the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Construction has begun again, but some people wonder if it’s even needed.

These stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

Fur Trapping In W.Va. And A Blue Ribbon Winner, Inside Appalachia

Flooding is a recurring problem across Appalachia. This week, we’re taking stock, and looking back on floods that have devastated parts of West Virginia and Kentucky.

We explore some of the reasons for floods, as well as the aftermath and the slow recovery that often follows after disaster.

It’s not all gloom. Even in our hardest moments, there’s always hope. 

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

Remembering Floods And Recovering From Disaster, Inside Appalachia

This week, a Ukrainian musician reflects on what music means during wartime.

And there’s a growing number of a certain kind of blood-sucking arachnid — and diseases that come with it. 

We also sit in on one of the natural wonders of the Great Smoky Mountains.

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

Following Up With A Ukrainian Musician And Smoky Mountain Firefly Magic, Inside Appalachia

This week, we visit a farm in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania that can grow on one acre what other farms grow on 100 acres.

We also hear about a podcast that remembers the "Back to the Land" movement of the 1970s and ‘80s – and a mysterious disappearance.

And, we meet a team of scientists that found dozens of new millipedes across Appalachia. They named one species after a pop star. 

These stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

Encore: Millipedes And Taylor Swift, Inside Appalachia

This week, we visit a cemetery in Bluefield, Virginia and learn how racial segregation followed some people to the grave.

We also hear from Neema Avashia, author of the celebrated memoir, "Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer And Indian In A Mountain Place." 

And we remember Hershel “Woody” Williams. The West Virginia native was America’s last living World War II Medal of Honor winner. He died last summer at the age of 98.

You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

Remembering Woody Williams And Volunteers Save Segregated Cemetery, Inside Appalachia

This week, we meet a craftsman who builds exquisite, handmade fly rods and shares his love of fishing with others.

We also talk about Appalachia’s nurse shortage. Experts say tackling racism could help attract and keep more nurses.

We also hear stories about Appalachian baseball and listen to the story of how a minor league team in Tennessee traded its shortstop — for a turkey.

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

Old School Fly Fishing Rods And Minor League Baseball Lore, Inside Appalachia

Inside Appalachia loves books and writers –and if you’re looking for summer book recommendations, we’ve got a bunch. It’s our summer reading episode, featuring some of our favorite notable author interviews from over the past several months. 

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

Summer Reading Suggestions, Inside Appalachia

This week, we’re joined by Lilly Knoepp, regional reporter at Blue Ridge Public Radio in Western North Carolina.

Boom and bust cycles for coal, timber and textiles are nothing new to Appalachia. Today we’re seeing another industry struggle –local journalism. 

Some newspapers have scaled back or disappeared entirely, but journalism isn’t dying. Journalists are adapting and some are reinventing what they do.

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

The Changing Media Landscape, Inside Appalachia

This week, we head to the meadows and woods of West Virginia to catch the buzz on beekeeping. And, it’s been over six years since Kentucky artist Lacy Hale designed her iconic “No Hate in My Holler” screenprint. Appalachians are still telling her how much they identify with its message. We also take a ride on the Cass Scenic Railroad and explore some one-of-a-kind getaways in West Virginia. You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

The Buzz About Bees and No Hate in My Hollar, Inside Appalachia

This week… Drop of Sun Studios in Asheville, North Carolina has put out some of the hottest indie rock records of the year. We talked with one of its co-founders.

We also visit the Allegheny Highlands, where Appalachia’s maple syrup traditions are changing with the times.

And, poet Lacy Snapp introduces us to east Tennessee’s poetry scene.

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

Drop of Sun Studios and Appalachian Syrup, Inside Appalachia

This week, a high school football game, a street festival, and a kids' classroom are all settings in a new film about how coal mining shapes Appalachian culture.

We also learn about the results of a new survey showing alarming mental health trends in Appalachia’s LGBTQ community.

And we meet a taxidermist in Yadkin County, North Carolina who was just a teenager when she found her calling.

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

The Reign Of 'King Coal,' Inside Appalachia

This week, we learn about the history of African Face Jars in America from the middle of the 19th Century to today. We also get an update on flood recovery in eastern Kentucky and talk with West Virginia poet Doug Van Gundy.

The African Art of Face Jugs, Inside Appalachia

This week on 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.

Encore: True Stories Behind Folk Heroes, Runaway Trains And Murder Ballads

This week, a southern Ohio college writing class recently learned about the idea of Appalachian identity and then told us what they thought. Kentucky has a new poet laureate. We listen back to a 2020 conversation with author Silas House, about growing up in the mountains. And in Harlan Kentucky, a mural sparked strong opinions over possums.

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

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