If there’s anything to be said about the inaugural Whizzbanger’s Ball at the Summit Bechtel Reserve in Glen Jean, West Virginia, it’s that it served as a long-awaited point of intersection for many. During William Matheny’s Saturday afternoon set, the guitarist, songwriter and frontman cracked […]
In the 1990s when I started medical school, nobody warned me how my job was going to hurt me emotionally. Maybe it’s better they didn’t, as I might have been scared away. I must admit, there were a few omens I foolishly ignored early on. […]
Originally published on June 2, 2024. Republished with permission from The Intercept, an award-winning nonprofit news organization dedicated to holding the powerful accountable through fearless, adversarial journalism. Sign up for The Intercept’s Newsletter. Much of the national conversation around student protests against Israel’s war on […]
In the 1980s, in the United States, coal and aluminum production were each thriving industries. The production of primary aluminum depended, at that time, on plentiful, inexpensive coal – and the rich mines of Appalachia supplied it. Coal production in Kentucky reached a peak in […]
It’s 6:30 p.m. on a Friday night in Boone, North Carolina, and a hush falls over the East Boone Listening Room. “We spent many years trying to find a space like this in town,” says artist and songwriter Sarah DeShields. Boone, which is home to […]
As a queer and gender-nonconforming person navigating life in a region deeply entrenched in Christianity, I find myself straddling two worlds. While I don’t hold any religious beliefs, I cannot deny the profound impact that Appalachian and Deep Southern Christianity have on the queer experience. […]
