Appalachian State University's Center for Appalachian Studies

“…this place we call home is beautiful, bountiful, and meaningful. All of this was also true for the Indigenous who knew this place as their home.” - Katie Rodriguez, Appalachian Studies alumna (‘25) in her thesis, “Beyond Boundaries: Reframing the Archaeology of the Native New River.” Katie was recently awarded the Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies, Appalachian State University’s Outstanding Thesis Award in the arts and humanities category 🎉 Join us in congratulating Katie and check out the full College of Arts and Sciences at Appalachian State University article here: https://cas.appstate.edu/news/cas-students-faculty-receive-2025–26-awards-williams-school-graduate-studies

The Spring 2026 edition of Appalachian Journal is hot off the presses!

In this issue, Olivia H. Phillips brings a folklorist’s lens to help reckon with the complexity of defining the region in her scholarly article, “Folklore Studies and Twenty-First Century Appalachia: Making Peace with the Un-Definability of a Region.” Selected new and unpublished poetry from Wally Smith, Deron Eckert, Bart Sides, Roger Bernstein, Lucy Flood, Thomas Rain Crowe, and Gary Grossman can be found in this edition, along with nine book reviews from recently published books.

Ted Olson edits a roundtable discussion centered around June Appal recordings’ No Options: Hip-Hop in Appalachia that brings to light a variety of perspectives centered around music, place, and identity. This roundtable includes an essay written by Olson on “Mountaintop Hip-Hop” as well as a piece from William H. Turner on the presence of hip-hop and rap music in his upbringing. Additionally, Eric “Monstalung” Jordan’s essay on hip-hop’s impact in the hollers of West Virginia brings forth a new narrative perspective to the conversation and subject, and Austin McCoy’s piece examines the origins of Appalachian rap. Finally, works from Patrick Salmons and angie luvara examine place and the abolitionist praxis-like framework surrounding Appalachian hip-hop, respectively. Shifting focus to another musical genre of significance in Appalachian, Yndiana Montes Fogelquist discusses the work of Joe Troop, ranging from bluegrass to Latingrass, and the importance and presence of activism woven into the music.

Purchase or renew your subscription for Appalachian Journal through UNC Press/Scholarly Publishing Collective. You can also access the latest issue through Project MUSE and libraries that subscribe to Appalachian Journal.

Support the Center for Appalachian Studies on Appalachian State University’s Giving Day! Click the link to see a message from our Center and to learn more: https://appstate.imodules.com/controls/email_marketing/view_in_browser.aspx?sid=1727&gid=2&sendId=6585577&ecatid=57&puid=e49f56a4-6611-4143-bc24-8dbdd49bc324

Check it out! The third edition of As the Crow Flies, the open-access expansion of Appalachian Journal: A Regional Studies Review went live on March 15. This spring edition of As the Crow Flies includes a selection of reviews and poetry from numerous writers and poets alike. Follow the link below to access : https://as-the-crow-flies.pubpub.org/?fbclid=PAVERFWAQlQE5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAad3Or045KMG1bdbLFVSx5Do3qgX4NBtaikEvO0yQnRgD6C5JytgvOZpm1OrtA_aem_o-6bchnlcOWCPEWf7tK_Pw

As the Crow Flies As the Crow Flies is the new open-access expansion of Appalachian Journal: A Regional Studies Review. Appalachian Journal, founded in 1972, is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed quarterly featuring field research, roundtable discussions, interviews, first-person essays, and scholarly studies of his...

Visits by Murphy Campbell and Willard C. Watson III were a highlight of this week!

Murphy Campbell presented on balladry in WNC in our Old Time Music Traditions class. Murphy shared several ballads with the class as well as details on her upcoming project “Revenant,” an album exploring her family’s singing traditions and community histories in Mitchell and Yancey counties.

MA alumnus Willard Watson visited Cary Curlee’s Appalachian Stories to present on his journey to reconnect with his family roots and the rich musical legacy of the Watson Family. Willard’s new comic “Ramblin’ Hobo” is a retelling of a legendary tale about his great grandfather, noted woodworker, musician, and dancer Willard Watson (1921-1995).

The new issue of As the Crow Flies, the open access expansion to Appalachian Journal is now live!

This winter edition of As the Crow Flies includes scholarly articles, book reviews, poetry, research-based essays, such as Rodger Cunningham’s “New Stocks for Old Apples” and Jeremy Paden’s “Four Women Waiting, A Shifting Set: On Leatha Kendrick’s Poetry,” and creative nonfiction pieces, such as Susan Long’s “Becoming Doris Day” and Susan J. Mitchell’s “Dangling My Legs at the Cemetery on the Hill.”

Follow the link for more: https://as-the-crow-flies.pubpub.org

“I knew if I was going to pursue Appalachian studies, it only made sense to do so at the University with ‘Appalachian’ in the name!” - Mason Smith on being inducted to the Cratis D. Williams Society, awarded by Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies, Appalachian State University

Congratulations to Mason on receiving this award which is named for “Mr. Appalachia,” Dr. Cratis D. Williams (1911-1985). Check out the full article from College of Arts and Sciences at Appalachian State University featuring Smith’s interview! https://cas.appstate.edu/news/cas-graduates-inducted-fall-2025-cratis-d-williams-society

The latest edition of the Appalachian Journal is available now!

This issue of Appalachian Journal: A Regional Studies Review (vol. 53, no. 1) focuses on the foods and recipes that enrich and reflect Appalachian culture, including the cross-cultural influences reflected through foodways. It includes scholarly articles from Sarah Trautwein and Eleanor Weedman and creative nonfiction and essays exploring the influence of food in the region, as well as poetry, interviews, and book reviews: https://cas.appstate.edu/news/appalachian-journal-vol-53-no-1-now-available

👻 Calling all spooky story lovers! 👻

Do you have a terrifying tale you've been itching to tell?

Special Collections is hosting a storytelling night, 'Conjure a Ghost Story,' on October 28 from 5:30 to 7:00pm. It’s an opportunity to hear original stories written by students or to tell one yourself! If you’d like to submit a story, make sure to do so before October 15 by following this link: https://appstate.libcal.com/event/15363537

A great opportunity to learn about a hidden history

TOMORROW: AppDocs and the Departments of History, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Sociology, in partnership with PBS North Carolina and Working Films, invite the public to a free screening and discussion of "American Coup: Wilmington 1898" from 7-9 p.m. at Appalachian Theatre.

The film shares the little-known story of a deadly race massacre and carefully orchestrated insurrection in Wilmington in 1898.

Following the screening, Dr. Kristen Baldwin Deathridge, associate professor in the Department of History, will moderate a panel discussion featuring Reverend Sean Hasker Palmer from the YMI Cultural Center in Asheville and Dr. Karl Campbell, professor in the Department of History.

🔗: https://bit.ly/4mSeBM8

Happy Friday 🎉We are proud to announce that As the Crow Flies, the new open-access expansion of Appalachian Journal: A Regional Studies Review, goes live this Monday, Sept. 15! Learn more in the press release below and be on the lookout for a link to the new site on Monday!

Appalachian Journal debuts open-access expansion As the Crow Flies BOONE, N.C. — As the Crow Flies, the new open-access expansion of Appalachian Journal: A Regional Studies Review, goes live on Sept. 15. Appalachian Journal, founded in 1972, is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed quarterly featuring field research, roundtable discussions, interviews, first-person...