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We’re coming upon a holiday where we as a people gather together and reflect on gratitude. We may contemplate the hundreds of Thanksgivings our people had before us. Or, perhaps, we ruminate over the gatherings in the most recent decade. A particular dish. A special person. A family tradition. WeContinue Reading

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Mary Ruden has compiled a wonderful little book about Tennessee women who changed history. From suffragists, to a preservationist, a granny woman, and a Revolutionary War heroine, Ruden has depicted each life in a thoughtful, artful, creative way. Most all of these historical heroines have two pages devoted to themContinue Reading

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Thank you to all our readers, contributors, subscribers, supporters, and creative persons. Thank you for your interest and for entrusting us with such incredible Appalachian creativity. This endeavor has been an honor and joy. I hope we have done well as a venue to inspire creativity and spread a littleContinue Reading

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One rarely comes across an artist whose remarkable talents flow across a wide swath of multiple medias. Such is true of Mary Ruden – painter, sculptor, textile artist, illustrator, renovator, etc. She is a tireless champion of history and uses her artistic talents to promote and preserve antiquity. She masterfullyContinue Reading

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In: Art, Nonfiction, Way Back When
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The Suffrage Coalition of Knoxville, Tennessee, has organized several parades to honor the history of women’s right to vote. The organization is headed by Wanda Sobieski, and is keeping that history alive. The parades are mainly held in downtown Knoxville. Women in white dresses with sashes wear hats and holdContinue Reading

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In: Art, Way Back When
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Mary McKeehan Patton was a gunpowder maker for the American Revolutionary War, in particular, the Battle of Kings Mountain in 1780. Several monuments exist in East Tennessee that honor the Battle of Kings Mountain. A Veterans Monument in Elizabethton, Tennessee, mentions Mary Patton on a side of its obelisk-shaped tower.Continue Reading

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Professional sculptor and mixed media artist Mary Ruden recently invited Appalachia Bare to attend the historical marker unveiling for suffragette Lizzie Crozier French. Our Admin, Tom Anderson and I stepped into Knoxville Tennessee’s Old Gray Cemetery and were greeted by a wonderful group of individuals, many wearing suffragette white. MaryContinue Reading