It has been our great pleasure to have met and published so many impressive and talented people. And we are grateful for each and every one of you—our submitters, subscribers, readers, perusers, and scrollers. In these five years, we have . . . Continue Reading
Oh, fruit loved of boyhood! the old days recalling, When wood-grapes were purpling and brown nuts were falling! When wild, ugly faces we carved in its skin, Glaring out through the dark with a candle within! (25-28) —from “The Pumpkin” by John Greenleaf Whittier, 1844 People living inContinue Reading
The following excerpt is from “The Complete Pitty Pat Hollow Tales” in Curtis N. Coulter’s 2022 book This Is the Way I Heard It . . . Not only does Coulter’s exceptional storytelling and wit transport the reader inside his beloved Sale Creek community, the very place that inspires hisContinue Reading
Black bears are as Appalachian as moonshine and fiddle music, and most anyone who has lived here has a bear story. In fact, most folks who visit our mountain hollers and trails have a bear story, even if it’s just a chance sighting from the road. They are fascinating animals.Continue Reading
The following tale can be found in Ivy Love Brown’s short story anthology, Mr. Lotman. This particular story was originally published by Appalachia Bare in 2019. With the author’s permission, we are revisiting the story and adding her warm tribute to the person who inspired the tale. Please enjoy .Continue Reading
The Fool Killer is an enduring figure in Appalachian folklore and oral narratives. Defined as an imaginary or legendary person, the Fool Killer is an archetypal character whose business is destroying fools. One particular Appalachian ethnicity, known as Melungeon, enjoys a rich history of variations on the origin and roleContinue Reading
Appalachia Bare recently published Stephen Billias’s poem, “Little Margaret,” a thoughtful and earnest homage to his friend, James Elton “Jim” McMillan, Jr., who was, among many talents, a musician. Stephen’s poem “Little Margaret” is the namesake of one of Jim’s songs. Stephen generously passed along a recording of Jim andContinue Reading
Similar to many small towns, Lake City, Tennessee,1) (The town has changed names several times since its founding circa 1800. For a little Wiki-info, click here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Top,_Tennessee ) residents often brag about interesting animal stories from the town’s annals. The one that stands out to me is the 1931 confrontationContinue Reading
We Southerners cherish our “characters” – eccentrics and outliers who intensify the spiciness of life. Take William Faulkner. To his neighbors in Oxford, Mississippi, Faulkner was “count no count,” a little bitty fellow who put on airs while sporting a limp and a cane and donning a cape for hisContinue Reading
Welcome to our continuing series about Appalachian hauntings. In this post, we’ll be journeying to Georgia, Kentucky, and Mississippi. Enjoy the history and the goose bumps. Georgia Barnsley Gardens – Bartow County Background: Godfrey Barnsley (1805-1873) was an Englishman who came to America in 1824 and soon became one ofContinue Reading