Author: Ivy Brashear

Appalachian Students Displaced by Outbreak Get a Lifeline

Colleges and universities are closing across the United States to help slow the spread of the new coronavirus. But while some students are able to continue their studies online, others can’t, and they have a different set of challenges that could limit their ability to even make it back home to […]

Read More

The Lies We’re Told About Appalachia

The old exploitative images are indelible: out of work, white, needy. They obscure the region’s diversity and long tradition of activism. Granny Hazel taught me how to feed the chickens. Hold the ear of dried corn in both hands and twist to pry the kernels from the cob, then throw […]

Read More

The Radio Show Bringing Prisoners Messages from Home

For inmates that can’t afford phone calls, this weekly program connects them to faraway family and friends. The call comes in clear. A woman on the line tells her loved one she’s consulted with officials, and he should be allowed to light an electric menorah for Hanukkah. It’s an issue […]

Read More