Ten years ago, I gave birth at home, attended by midwives, largely because it seemed like the safest idea at the time. We lived, and still live, in rural Appalachian Ohio, in a small town with only one hospital. Due to the remoteness and poverty in my community, we don’t […]
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A traditional gathering place where the public meets the private becomes the critical point of contact for Appalachian families. On any day in Appalachia, you can find gifts in front of houses, left on porches for the people inside: mushrooms just foraged, cookies freshly baked. The porch is an extension […]
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Commentary: But this time, let’s also invest in critical infrastructure—including healthcare. Recently, the warning I give my son changed. Usually, I tell my adventurous 9-year-old, who is high-energy and prone to stunts: I don’t want to take you to the hospital. Since the coronavirus pandemic, I have had to say: […]
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When the coronavirus pandemic reached Appalachian Ohio, the first thing My Sister’s Place, a domestic violence agency which serves three counties in the state, did was make room. The shelter for adults and children quickly found alternative housing for many families in need. Now the shelter has enough space so […]
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This week, West Virginia became the latest to issue a statewide shelter-in-place directive, ordering residents to remain at home unless they are gathering supplies, caring for ill family members, or working jobs deemed essential. In issuing his order, which came on the same day as similar orders in states such […]
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As the coal industry declines, rural communities are seeking new economic stability—but prisons may not be the answer. Big Sandy hides on a big hill. If you’re not looking for the federal prison, you’ll miss it easily. At first, all that can be seen above the soaring Kentucky cliffs, jagged […]
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