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In: Agrarian, Nonfiction, Storytelling, Sustainability
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No one comes to the front door of the old clapboard house, unless of course they are peddling something, or lost. The gravel drive shoots up a short, steep hill and curves around to the back of the house like a strong arm pulls you in for a hug. LeftoverContinue Reading

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In: Hiking, Hunting, Nonfiction, Poetry, Zoology
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This story is about an experience I had with my dad on a sunny afternoon in the mountain holler where we lived. I was about nine or ten years old at the time, and my dad would have been about thirty. The details of that afternoon are not entirely clear,Continue Reading

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In: Folklore, Nonfiction, Paranormal, Way Back When
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Oh, fruit loved of boyhood! the old days recalling, When wood-grapes were purpling and brown nuts were falling! When wild, ugly faces we carved in its skin, Glaring out through the dark with a candle within! (25-28) —from “The Pumpkin” by John Greenleaf Whittier, 1844     People living inContinue Reading

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Appalachia has a unique history and her recorded past spans hundreds of years. Everyone has a tale—tall or small, tainted or sainted—because these mountains are full to the brim with stories. Our grandparents (and great grandparents, if one is fortunate) have told us about so many things. Sometimes their wordsContinue Reading

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Thank you for joining us as we continue celebrating Appalachian poet and novelist, George Scarbrough’s birthday with part 2 of Edward Francisco‘s “Christ-Hauntedness in George Scarbrough’s Invitation to Kim.”   Christ-Hauntedness in Scarbrough’s Invitation to Kim . . . As before, the reader senses that Scarbrough’s “love of profligate /Continue Reading

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Appalachian poet and novelist George Scarbrough was born on October 20, 1915. Appalachia Bare is celebrating his birthday this week with a two-part essay written by our own Edward Francisco, titled “Christ-Hauntedness in George Scarbrough’s Invitation to Kim.” The essay first appeared in The Iron Mountain Review’s George Scarbrough IssueContinue Reading

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In: Folklore, Nonfiction, Zoology
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Black bears are as Appalachian as moonshine and fiddle music, and most anyone who has lived here has a bear story. In fact, most folks who visit our mountain hollers and trails have a bear story, even if it’s just a chance sighting from the road. They are fascinating animals.Continue Reading

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In: Nonfiction, Scoundrels & Sinners, Way Back When
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I hope everyone has been pleased with this Daugherty series, or, perhaps, been enlightened? My goal has always been to write the facts and let the reader sift through it all. Though admittedly, I may have either ventured into my own opinions or, perhaps, somehow revealed them in my writing.Continue Reading

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In: Canning & Recipes, Nonfiction, Sustainability
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Almost everybody in Appalachia has a home canning story. Whether it’s that jar of pickles that just didn’t keep its crunch, or the homemade apple butter with that heavenly taste, or the month canning went awry when several jars burst, and so forth. And I’d go even further to sayContinue Reading

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In: Nonfiction, Superstition, Zoology
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I have a little wonderland in my backyard. Among this happy place, dragonflies hover, rabbits abound, squirrels cavort, and a few dozen bird species flutter about. I love birds, but I do have my favorites. I love chickadees and owls. I think blue jays have gorgeous markings. The plain littleContinue Reading