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
I cannot watch war movies. In my mind’s eye, I interpose my father trudging through rice paddies in Vietnam, trudging through tall grass so thick, it slices the skin. I see his small frame – just a boy – whose uniform in later years fit his 13-year-old grandson. I seeContinue Reading
. . . [and they] arose against me; they laid to my charge things that I knew not. They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul. Psalm 35:11-12 Written (in part) on the back of Daniel Britton Daugherty’s tombstone Thank you to Zach Foster andContinue Reading
**Trigger Warning: This article contains supernatural violence and abuse. The Smurl family didn’t have an easy go at life. They were Pennsylvanians and devout Roman Catholics who were heavily involved in church activities. The family included Navy veteran Jack Smurl,1)Jack Smurl was on a ship at sea during the CubanContinue Reading
Something deplorable is occurring in the hollows of Appalachia. A person might trek through the woods or walk along a dirt road and see deer carcasses lying here and there. They are not dying for natural reasons. They are not succumbing to disease. Instead, they are victims of people whoContinue Reading
A few years ago, I put together a four-part series about Appalachians in the silent film era entitled, “Appalachians in Moving Pictures.” Every actor’s story provides an interesting insight into the dawn of motion pictures and a place called Hollywoodland. Enjoy the following story about silent film actress Ethlyne Clair.Continue Reading
They waited for me before they took him. I closed the car door, slogged past family, noted the numbed, distant faces and swollen, zoned eyes; passed the old country roses, sweet and sundry; passed his hand-crafted shed that smelled of fresh cedar, heard the bustle of birds all around, aflutter.Continue Reading
In my last post of the Daugherty series, we left Byrd, his two sons, and Pryor Bunch rooted to the spot across from Daniel Britton Daugherty, Robert Lowe, and possibly a few others. If you recall, Robert Lowe reached into his jacket pocket, and I imagine that gesture put theContinue Reading
Deputy Byrd Daugherty1)In various places and sources, Byrd’s name is often spelled “Bird.” The way I was told, the correct spelling is Byrd. Another point: The last name, Daugherty, has also been spelled Dougherty. never reckoned that a bloodbath was coming when he stepped off the train from the HarrimanContinue Reading
We have beautiful lands here in the mountains. Our soil is fertile. Our springs are clear. Our mountains are misty. Tourists flock to these lands because the stunning panoramic views are legendary. But we have a problem (one of many, to be sure). I don’t know if anyone else hasContinue Reading