Her deep connection with these Appalachian Mountains is evident in her poetry. Her words encapsulate the very essence of this region – from ancestors to the natural world and in between. Her own mountain spirit and philosophy of interconnectedness flow through her poetry . . .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
I first met Cassie Watters when I was Local President of United Campus Workers (UCW). In 2011 I hired her to be one of our union Organizers (a decision I count among the best during my terms as president). Since then, I have had the privilege to call her aContinue Reading
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
I recently had the honor of conducting an interview with our own Edward Francisco about his new book The Ever Changing Sky: Meditations on the Psalms (Wipf & Stock, 2021). Much of that interview is found below. The entire interview will be available this Friday, November 19, on Edward Francisco:Continue Reading
Welcome back to the second part of Appalachia Bare‘s exclusive information gathering from “Rider,” an old time member of the Southern Sons. We took a little pit stop for a few nights and now we’re heading down the valley toward our destination. Gear buckled, helmet fastened, let’s crank up thatContinue Reading
Things happen at night in the holler. Bad things. Of course, that goes for big cities, too. But we all know hollers have no street lights or city lights and nighttime is pitch-black along those meandering dirt roads. Nightfall covers a multitude of sins like a cozy patchwork blanket. It’sContinue Reading
I’ve been friends with Ed McDaniel (aka Captain Ed) for over ten years. We met working in Facilities Services at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. We are union members of United Campus Workers (UCW), which we both were privileged to serve as Local President. We’ve spent a fair amount ofContinue Reading