The Talking Appalachian Podcast
Talking Appalachian is a podcast about the Appalachian Mountain region's language or "voiceplaces," cultures, and communities. The podcast is hosted by Dr. Amy Clark, a Professor of Communication Studies and Director of the Center for Appalachian Studies at the University of Virginia's College at Wise. The podcast is based on her 2013 co-edited book Talking Appalachian: Voice, Identity, and Community. Her writing on Appalachia has appeared in the New York Times, Oxford American Magazine, Salon.com, on NPR, and Harvard University Press blog. She is also founder and director of the Appalachian Writing Project, which serves teachers, students, and the communities of the central Appalachian region.
- Update frequency
- every 12 days
- Average duration
- 25 minutes
- Episodes
- 63
- Years Active
- 2023 - 2025
The Christmas Poke, a Hard Candy Christmas, Old Christmas, and Animals Praying at Midnight in Appalachia
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We're exploring some Appalachian Christmas traditions in this episode from The Christmas poke, or treat bag, to the term "Hard Candy Christmas," made popular in a D…
Graveyards, Famous Houses, and an Inspirational Mailbox in the Middle of Nowhere: Sleepy Hollow to Sunset Beach
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In this places and spaces episode that starts in the northern reaches of the Appalachian plateau, we travel from quaint Sleepy Hollow, New York to the serene sands …
What Do We Mean by 'Directly' and 'Needs Washed'?
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This episode is about a word and a phrase that are still commonly used in the Appalachian region. First, I'll offer a little refresher on what makes up a dialect an…
Places and Spaces: Edgar Allen Poe's Baltimore Home and a Reading of "The Raven"
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In this "Places and Spaces" episode, we'll mark the October anniversary of Edgar Allen Poe's mysterious death with a visit to Poe's house in Baltimore and the cemet…
Grave Matters: Appalachian Death Lore, Burial, and Mourning Rituals
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In this chilling episode (just in time for spooky week), SWVA Museum Education Specialist Burke Greear joins me to talk about pre-funeral industry Appalachian cust…
Appalachian Reckoning, Hillbillies, and Accents with Anthony Harkins and Meredith McCarroll
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The co-editors of Appalachian Reckoning: a Region Responds to Hillbilly Elegy and the author of Hillbilly: a Cultural History of an American Icon join me to talk …
Appalshop: 55 Years of Telling Appalachia's Stories
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Appalshop was founded in eastern Kentucky in 1969, providing "space for Appalachians to tell their own stories in their own words." Its founding followed the War on…
Adriana Trigiani: a Bestselling Author on Books, Movies, Podcasting, and Place
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Adri and I sit down at the Library of Virginia to catch up and talk about writing, The Origin Project, her podcast (You Are What You Read), and ten years since the …
Finding Glimmers with Poet Jane Hicks and Music by Tiffany Williams
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Poet Jane Hicks is the author of three award-winning poetry collections: Blood and Bone Remember, Driving with the Dead, and recently, The Safety of Small Things (U…
"Hillbilly" and an Interview with Journalist and Documentary Filmmaker Ashley York
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In this episode, I explore the word "hillbilly" with native Kentuckian and documentary filmmaker Ashley York, who co-directed the award-winning film by the same nam…
The Meaning of "Redneck" and Its Role in the U.S. Labor Movement
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Redneck. Hillbilly. White Trash. These are some of the class-based words used to describe people of Appalachia. But did you know that redneck, in particular, has a …
Appalachia's Scottish Roots and the Dialect Influences of Scots Gaelic
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Musician and storyteller Jack Beck, a native of Dunfermline, Scotland, joins me in this episode to talk about his homeland's cultural connection to the Appalachian …
A Conversation with Barbara Kingsolver Part II
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In this continuation of the Barbara Kingsolver episodes, the eastern Kentucky native gives her last talk on her novel, Demon Copperhead on the campus of The Univers…
A Conversation with Pulitzer Winning Author of Demon Copperhead Barbara Kingsolver (Part 1)
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In this first of two episodes with the author of Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver says she is "bringing Demon home" in her last talk about the novel. She discus…
Mountain Lake Lodge in Southwest Virginia: History, Mystery, and Hollywood
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Join us as we spend a weekend at beautiful Mountain Lake Lodge in this Appalachian Places and Spaces episode. Hear about the history of the lodge, dating back to th…
The Origin of "Dog Days" and Its Folklore, and the Southern Appalachian City of Knoxville
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Dog Days has begun, and I'm exploring the origins of this 16th century phrase. Did you know the season from July 3rd to August 11 coincides with Sirius, or Canis Ma…
The Tradition of Prayer Cloths, and the Only Town in Appalachia That's Named "Appalachia"
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Prayer cloths are symbols of a deep and widespread faith that has been in Appalachia since its settlement. From simple squares to quilts to shawls, prayers are embe…
The word "Holler," Lightning Bug or Firefly, and Spellcheck by Anne Shelby
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Those of us who grew up in a "holler" know that they can be deep, dark valleys or winding roads between hills. But did you know holler also refers to yodeling, call…
The Myth of Isolation in Appalachia
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We know modern Appalachia isn't isolated, so why do people keep using that word to describe a region that includes 13 states and 25 million people? This episode is …
'Eye Dialect' as a Contributor to Stereotype and Michael Montgomery's Research on the Written Dialect of 18th Century Documents
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Early authors used "eye dialect," or a deliberate misspelling of words that doesn't change how they sound (like "tu" for "to" or "uv" for "of.") This literary pract…