Appalachian History

From Los Angeles Times, Nov. 7, 2010: Crimes grow in rich Appalachian soil Sharyn McCrumb’s ‘The Devil Amongst the Lawyers’ and Vicki Lane’s ‘The Day of Small Things’ find a rare mix of thriller elements in a particular region. By Sarah Weinman | Special to the Los Angeles Times Appalachia’s mix of strong religious ties, farming, crop [...]

“THE autumn in the Hills is but the afternoon of summer. The hour of the new guest is not yet. Still the heat lies on the earth and runs bubbling in the water. The little maid trots barefoot and the urchin goes a swimming in the elm hole by the corner of the meadow. Still [...]

The habits of these folk, as I remember them when I was a child, were generous and hospitable. There was much rivalry between women in household matters. Certain recipes in pastry and pickles and medicine were handed down in families from generation to generation. There were few formal dinners, but cover for the accidental guest [...]

Wilma Dykeman (1920-2006) pioneered and popularized the concepts of Appalachian Studies and Appalachian Literature.  She wrote prolific columns for the ‘Knoxville News-Sentinel.’ She served as the Tennessee State Historian, a Trustee of Berea College, and as a Senior Fellow of the National Endowment of the Humanities. During her long career Dykeman was awarded the Sidney [...]

This review by Alan Bailey originally ran on ThePitPass. How did NASCAR evolve from moonshine running and dirt tracks to a billion dollar industry and the biggest spectator sport in the United States? A new book by Daniel S. Pierce, University of North Carolina at Asheville associate professor of history, takes an unprecedented look into [...]