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When you grow up sheltered in the shadows of the Appalachian Mountains, magic is all around you. My people came from across the world to these mountains and hollers: bringing with them a mixture of religions, demons, folklore, and wisdom. The mixture of these cultures, combined with the ever-present headyContinue Reading

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The Dancing Fiddle was going to close down. It had stood at the corner of the main street since most anyone could remember. Bill bought it off the old man who had it before him, and now, as he was old in turn, he had no one to leave itContinue Reading

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We’ve compiled some tidbits of information on these Appalachian English words. Some information is extensive, telling the first usage and a little etymology. Other information is sparse. Still other information is somewhat entertaining.   1. Coal oil: b.) kerosene   From “How is Lamp Oil Made?” by Alex Burke onContinue Reading

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The dialect and language of Appalachia is unique. Our way of speaking hearkens back to 1500s Middle English. Some of our words are, arguably, even Old English. (Hit, for example, is, as Wylene P. Dial writes, “the Old English third person singular neuter pronoun for [the word] it . .Continue Reading

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1. You and I lived nowhere by the river among the frogs, mushrooms, and flowers that flourished beside the sidewalks of our neighborhood. In the light of moon against the southern trees blowing in wind from the west, Your phone and my face glowed as we talked about what weContinue Reading

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Today’s Red Death I have been shut in my house, my yard, and my neighborhood for the past two months, and I am getting frustrated with how drawn out all the government’s coronavirus safety measures have become. I have not seen my grandparents or friends during all of that time,Continue Reading

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The recent death of George Floyd poured salt onto a gaping, raw wound in this country. The event exposed excessive police force, police overreach, and the absolute need for reform. The following African American names are by no means an exhaustive list. Though the deaths of many of the AfricanContinue Reading

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In: Biology, Dendrology, Environmental Studies, Geology, Hiking, Nonfiction
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Appalachia Bare is proud to introduce a new monthly nature series written by Grant Mincy, an assistant professor of biology and (sometimes) geology at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, Tennessee. He also sits on the Earth and Planetary Sciences Advisory Council for the University of Tennessee. He often hikesContinue Reading