“I like the old stuff, man.” Steve’s voice is soft as he sips gas-station coffee and cruises the Little River Road. “I mean, just listen to this, dude. Sounds like you’re supposed to rock Bob Seger in the mountains.” We are heading to Rainbow Falls trailhead to climb Mount LeConte.Continue Reading
Appalachia Bare is proud to introduce a new monthly nature series written by Grant Mincy, an assistant professor of biology and (sometimes) geology at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, Tennessee. He also sits on the Earth and Planetary Sciences Advisory Council for the University of Tennessee. He often hikesContinue Reading
It stalks like a shadow and hugs like a strait-jacket. I wear it like an off-the-rack, ill-fitting coat. At times, it tightens round my throat like a scarf threatening to strangle me. It’s closer than my own skin. It itches in spots beyond my reach to scratch. I didn’t askContinue Reading
At the tail end of Black History Month in 2020, Appalachia Bare would like to introduce you to an exciting historical preservation project in the Appalachian community. Black in Appalachia is a community service and documentary series project aiming to exhibit and preserve the histories of African American communitiesContinue Reading
So, what does it mean to be Appalachian? Is it merely a birthright or can one become Appalachian? Are there different degrees of being Appalachian? Is there a checklist? Love the mountains — check. Love to hike — check. Enjoy banjo and fiddle music —double check. For those whose rootsContinue Reading
My mom has a chestnut tree in her new backyard. I know because I came across dozens of little spiky somethings spread on the ground and I was concerned that her dog might step on one (or more) and get hurt. I brought one into her house. We debated asContinue Reading
Hot tea is a very pleasant and beneficial beverage. Its elements produce a soothing aroma and lend comfort and well-being to the throat and body. Hot teas are a helpful drink for the body’s system. I thought I might research some of the teas in my cupboard and divulge whatContinue Reading
My December 2019 side trip off Highway 68 to Ducktown was inspired by Edward Francisco’s “Copper Hill – A Legacy,” posted in September. I also had seen the “moonscape” as a child and swam in the sulfur-scented, olive-tinted water downstream. The mines and processing plants are closed; yet, their legacyContinue Reading
When I was ten, my mother enrolled me in Margaret Howell’s School of Dancing and Etiquette. It was a phase of my male finishing school education designed to rid the savage within and transform me into a Southern gentleman, i.e., Chaucer’s “veray parfit gentil knight.” (For the record, all gentlemenContinue Reading
Our river is the Obed River in southeastern Appalachia. There are five of us. We’re all good friends. We work at the same restaurant and watering hole, the old Sunspot, on the old strip – otherwise known as Cumberland Avenue in Knoxville, Tennessee. We are coming of age, living inContinue Reading