I briefly forgot about the butterflies in my stomach when the work clinic doc latched on to my genitals. He seemed to be checking for more than a hernia, but, sensing I wasn’t happy to be there, he quickly finished the cursory exam. A few reams of government paperwork later,Continue Reading
Sometimes situations interrupt what a person has planned. Repercussions are felt in several areas, like a faceted, imperfect jewel. As Chief Editor of Appalachia Bare, I have planned so many things this year, and, hopefully, they will all work out just fine. But a recent event occurred that put aContinue Reading
I had a friend here [at home]. His name was Dennis. He wrote me a few times. Before the war, his house was like a second home to me, because I was always over there. He lived at home with his mom, dad, and sister. His father was a sheetContinue Reading
See how you scored in the answers below. Kilt a. Quilt b. Cult c. Killed d. Kiln The “t” ending in kilt first appeared in Middle English: kelit, kelyt, kylt, kilt. The ending was first documented in a 13th century work called The Gest Hystoriale of the Destruction of Troy.Continue Reading
I’d like to begin here by saying I am not a linguist. I have studied a small portion of linguistics, enough to understand a smidgen of what I respectfully consider a complex discipline. Thanks to our Associate Editor, Edward Francisco, who graciously gifted his library to me (one of myContinue Reading
When we first arrived in Washington D.C. at the soup kitchen where we would be serving for the next week, we were met by an interesting sight: a visibly outdated building in every aspect, with wavy glass panels next to revolving wooden doors, and avocado green walls from the seventiesContinue Reading
An acorn is the fruit of an oak tree. Inside an acorn rests a single seed. Inside the seed rests an oak embryo. This embryo is produced by pollination. Oak trees have both sperm-producing and egg-bearing flowers that bundle together. Sperm-producing flowers, or catkins, are inflorescence clusters that look, inContinue Reading
More and more people are realizing we live on a finite planet, with finite resources, and the clock is ticking to clean up the mess we have made. Further, we are discovering that a sustainable life does not mean we have to give up our comforts, but instead expand themContinue Reading
“Thanks for getting me out here, babe.” My voice is excited but gruff. “I didn’t get much sleep at all last night.” I’m feeling the effects of our 2021 all-day New Year’s celebration. Despite some muscle aches, moderate anxiety, and a tad bit of brain fog, I’m happy to beContinue Reading
Joel Agee, the son At age 41, Agee had suffered the first of two heart attacks, the second of which would kill him when he was just forty-six, having recently completed his novel A Death in the Family before his death. Agee was contemptuous of moderation, insisting on living lifeContinue Reading