Appalworks

10/06/2026

Barbara Kingsolver's new book is out! Can't wait to read it!

Her new novel “Partita,” which debuts Tuesday, involves the protagonist’s upbringing on an East Tennessee cattle farm.

02/25/2026

Data Center proposed for Wise County, VA.

It's not too late for the citizens to stop it if they want to avoid traffic, noise, and environmental degredation.

Officials say the project would involve nine buildings totaling approximately 2 million square feet, plus on-site natural gas generation.

02/15/2026

I wonder if legislators are aware of how different the pay scales are in the Appalachian sections of the state. This is a serious problem for many in the region --not just in Virginia!

In its newer form, the bill from Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, would ask state regulators to review two factors that contribute to how much customers pay each month.

02/11/2026

Writers! You can still apply to attend the Hindman Writers Workshop. Deadline is March 1, so get those applications in! (Highly recommend. I am still enjoying the connections that I made when I attended several years ago!)

Hindman’s own Sarah Kate Morgan will serve as Musician-in-Residence at the 49th Appalachian Writers’ Workshop at Hindman Settlement School.

Born in Sharps Chapel, Tennessee, and now based in Hindman, Sarah Kate Morgan is a celebrated singer, songwriter, and mountain dulcimer player whose music is deeply rooted in Appalachian tradition. At just eighteen, she won the National Mountain Dulcimer Championship and has since developed a signature style that honors tradition while forging new creative ground.

Sarah Kate has performed and recorded with artists such as Tyler Childers, Amethyst Kiah, and Erynn Marshall & Carl Jones. A graduate of Morehead State University with degrees in Traditional Music, Appalachian Studies, and Arts Administration, she now serves as a community music educator, teaching and preserving the region’s rich folk traditions. Through her work and music, she embodies the belief that art and heritage are living tools for hope, community, and change.

📅 Applications are open through March 1, 2026!
Learn more at www.hindman.org/workshop.

02/06/2026

Participate in a truly wonderful community project in Jonesborough, TN.

StoryTown Radio Show is planning something big for the 250th birthday of the United States in 2026, a brand-new community play. The original show, featuring music, history, and stories, will premiere at the McKinney Center at the end of February and run through early March. Auditions will take place on December 9th and 10th from 6:00-8:30 pm at the McKinney Center. There are a variety of roles available for all ages and all levels of acting experience.
You do not need to come both nights. Scenes from the play will be printed to read from, you do not need to prepare a monologue. There will be some singing in the play, and if you’re interested in a singing role, you will be asked to share a song at the audition. Rehearsals will run from January through February. A full list of characters will be posted at mckinneycenter.com and on McKinney Center and StoryTown social media sites prior to the audition dates. This project is supported in part by the Tennessee Commission for the United States Semiquincentennial.

02/06/2026

Richmond friends: this is a stunning film, but troubling, too. It's part of the whole "poverty p**n" argument amongst scholars, centered on depictions of Appalachians and negative stereotypes. If I were going to be in town, I'd host a little get-together so that we caould talk about it together. Appalshop does amazing work. Check it out!

‘The camera is a weapon.”

Join us TOMORROW, at 7:00pm for an impromptu screening of STRANGER WITH A CAMERA by Elizabeth Barret.

The screening is free (no tickets required, just show up) and we’ll have popcorn and a special wh**ky toast to the work of this hero, absolute Appalachian icon and queen of documentary filmmaking. Elizabeth Barret passed away yesterday at age 74 and we want to remember her by celebrating her brilliance and sharing her work.

Please share with your friends and come hear the story of Hobart Ison and Hugh O’Conner— two men on either sides of a camera 🎥 this film asks big questions about the history of representation, insider & outsider dichotomies and how to tell each others’ stories with rigor & consideration.

12/06/2025

Some details have yet to be finalized, but the project will be developed in the county’s Progress Park. Officials say it will bring high-tech, high-wage jobs to the region.

12/06/2025

It's been a long time since I've posted, but this prompted me to get back to it again. I have spent my academic and now my nonprofit career working for the benefit of this region and helping people see past stereotypes that have hindered Appalachia for centuries. I know how this region has been exploited and mistreated.

This is proof that there is still work to do. Here I am, rolling up my sleeves. I am not posting this to be partisan -- I am posting it because I am concerned about the diminishment of what was beginning to be significant economic development here.

My friend Lou Ann Jessee Wallace is quoted here. We do not always agree politically, but she is one of the fiercest and most effective advocates for Appalachia that I know. Good on The Guardian for having the wisdom to interview her. Thanks, Lou. I am on your side of this. We deserve better.

Biden earmarked billions for former coal communities in Appalachia – and his successor came and took it away