A small boat skims across the surface of a lake, an old man at the helm. His white hair flutters in the wind. He is smiling. The sun is shining. He guides the boat into a quiet alcove and kills the engine and tosses an anchor overboard. He leans over the side of the boat and peers into the emerald water as the ripples disappear and his reflection appears . . .Continue Reading
Founded in 2009, SEEED, or Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development, is an exceptionally designed non-profit with a mission to help young people find a way out of poverty. Their story is so unique because SEEED is an entirely local grown organization, cultivated from concerns about housing costs, high utility bills, and gun violence. These issues, paired with the fact that few real opportunities exist out there for youths to succeed and excel, prompted SEEED to start digging for a solution.Continue Reading
We’re continuing our exclusive interview with Knoxville, Tennessee’s Poet Laureate, Joseph “Black Atticus” Woods.Continue Reading
Near the tail end of 2023, Appalachia Bare had the great honor of interviewing Knoxville, Tennessee’s Poet Laureate, Joseph Woods, aka Black Atticus. The esteemed Woods is a hip-hop artist and spoken word poet who weaves words into a tapestry of storytelling and poetry.Continue Reading
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
Earlier this month, Appalachia Bare took ourselves a little trip to Chattanooga and visited the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM). While there, we took a 65-minute train ride on the Local1)Why the term “local”? These short trains were a “lifeline to small towns along the railroad.” They often delivered mail,Continue Reading
Author’s Note: some factual details, Mary’s letter, and photos (scanned from the originals) in this article were mined from an unpublished case study I co-authored; my foggy, unofficial recollections form the rest of the story. For all dollar figures, keep in mind that a buck in 1978 would be equivalentContinue Reading
“I placed a jar in Tennessee” is the first line of Wallace Stevens’ “Anecdote of the Jar,” a modernist poem written in 1918. Stevens’ canon of poetry typically explores the phenomenon of perception and the mind’s tendency to create its own reality. Anecdote of the Jar I placed a jarContinue Reading
I long to lie in the thick apple moss, hemmed in by doghobble, leafy liverwort at my feet, lichen like a lacy pillow under my head, covered by a canopy of sugar maple and red buckeye, butterfly ghosts of beech leaves fluttering above. If I were very, very quiet, wouldContinue Reading
The following section is the last of my father’s journals, which really turned out to be more of a memoir. This part is devoted to his childhood, so I have included pictures of him as a little boy. I hope his writings have offered enjoyment, knowledge, or comfort. AContinue Reading