The Talking Appalachian Podcast
Talking Appalachian is a podcast about the Appalachian Mountain region's language or "voiceplaces," cultures, and communities. The podcast is hosted by Dr. Amy Clark, a Professor of Communication Studies and Director of the Center for Appalachian Studies at the University of Virginia's College at Wise. The podcast is based on her 2013 co-edited book Talking Appalachian: Voice, Identity, and Community. Her writing on Appalachia has appeared in the New York Times, Oxford American Magazine, Salon.com, on NPR, and Harvard University Press blog. She is also founder and director of the Appalachian Writing Project, which serves teachers, students, and the communities of...
The 1929 Cyclone of Rye Cove, Virginia: Storm, Song, and Suit
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In this episode, we head back to May 2, 1929, when a deadly tornado tore through the small mountain community of Rye Cove, Virginia, claiming the lives of 12 schoolchildren and one teacher and leaving lasting scars on the region.
We explore:
What happened that spring afternoon in Rye Cove and the impact on the community.How the tragedy inspired a haunting ballad by the Carter Family, written by A.P. Carter who witnessed the storm and its aftermath.A little-known legal battle that followed: a surprising lawsuit settled in 1931...From the Highlands to the Hollers: Outlander, Scots English and Appalachian Englishes
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Outlander fans will enjoy this episode, where we trace the winding trail of language from the misty Highlands of Scotland to the shaded hollers of Appalachia. Along the way, we unpack double modals like “might could,” trace the evolution of the word highlander and outlander, and reflect on how language becomes a legacy you carry in your mouth. Hear about the real-life Scottish festival held in July, called the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, which was featured in season 4 of Outlander.
Plus, if you're a fan of traditional Appalachian musi...
Appalachian Accents and Speech Recognition Technology
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Have you ever tried text to speech with your accent, only to find your message garbled? In this episode of The Talking Appalachian Podcast, we'll explore speech technology and how AI interacts (and doesn't) with the unique accents found across America, including those in Appalachia. We discuss the 30 most misunderstood American accents by AI, trace the timeline of how AI speech recognition has developed, and uncover the struggles faced by speakers with regional accents. Finally, we spotlight the efforts researchers are making to train AI to better recognize and understand...
Talkin' Truth with NYT Bestselling Author of The Glass Castle Jeannette Walls
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Jeannette Walls is hailed as one of the world's most gifted storytellers, and she's been sharing her remarkable story of resilience and redemption with audience since her memoir, The Glass Castle, was published in 2005. The book chronicles her dysfunctional and nomadic upbringing, part of which took place in Welch, West Virginia. It was a NYT bestseller for over eight years. In 2017, the Glass Castle was made into a movie starring Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts.
Listen as we talk about this incredible story with parents who...
The Meanings and Mystery of "Melungeon"
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In episode 50, we will talk about the word "Melungeon," its multiple meanings, and the history of a mysterious Appalachian people known as the "lost tribe" (who claim Elvis and Abraham Lincoln among their members.) Appalachian historian Dr. Brian McKnight joins me as we dive into a dark part of Virginia's history, the 1924 Racial Integrity Act and Walter Plecker's policies, and what that meant for Melungeon people. We'll also explore what the latest DNA studies say about their ancestral background, and learn about one of the most storied Melungeons, moonshiner Mahalia "...
The Word "Dadgum" and author Silas House on Defeating Accent Bullies "One Word at a Time"
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Listen to find out what word people are replacing with the euphemism "dadgum." Then, author and Kentucky Poet Laureate Silas House reads from his essay "In My Own Country," about how his parents learned to defeat those who were making fun of their accents....one word at a time.
Listen to holocaust survivor Yvette Purdue's story of escaping the nazis to find refuge in the Appalachian mountains, now on Patreon. (If you don't want to subscribe, you can purchase it for a one-time donation to her favorite charity.)<...
"Them guys," Three Reasons We Will Always Talk Appalachian, and an Excerpt from Lee Smith
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You know the phrases "How do you like them apples?" and "Them's fightin' words!" We'll talk about the Scotch-Irish roots of them for these and those. Then, I'll tell you three of the top reasons why Appalachian speakers won't give up their dialects despite the risk of stigma. Then listen to an excerpt from the essay "Southern Exposure" by the wonderful Appalachian author Lee Smith, as she describes how she came to own her voice as a writer and explains why her accent is a means of power.
S...
"Here's you a piece of pizza": a common grammar pattern in the South, and Wool as a Verb
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"Here's you a piece of pizza. Where's me some silverware? There's us a table." We'll talk about this common grammar pattern and where it's spoken. Then, we'll switch to the word "wool," a word used as a verb in vernacular southern Englishes since the 19th century, as in, "The little boy is wooling that kitten."
Research for this episode comes from the Yale Grammatical Diversity Project and Dictionary of American Regional English.
Jewelry from coal, river glass, and discarded books handcrafted in the...
The Best of 2024: Highlights Part 2
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Listen to more of the best clips from 2024's podcast episode, including:
Jack Beck talking about the influence of Scots Gaelic;Jane Hicks reading from her book of poetry, The Safety of Small Things;The origins of the word "redneck,";A conversation with Hillbilly documentary director Ashley York;Adriana Trigiani on what it means to be Appalachian;Appalshop and 50 years of storytelling about the region;A conversation with the editors of Appalachian Reckoning and what it means to keep our authentic voices;Mourning and death rituals with Burke Greear;"...The Best of 2024: Highlight Clips from Selected Episodes
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This episode includes highlights from some of the best episodes of 2024, which include:
my interview with Pulitzer-winning reporter and memoirist Rick Bragg;a study of two letters written a century apart and their dialect similarities;what I learned about an ancient Pictish language during a visit to Ireland;my interview with co-researcher Will Isom and the story of a mysterious burial ground;the fight to save the Cherokee language from extinctionand the one and only Barbara Kingsolver, author of the Pulitzer-winning book Demon Copperhead.I hope you enjoy...
