
The Talking Appalachian Podcast
Talking Appalachian is a podcast about the Appalachian Mountain region's language or "voiceplaces," cultures, and communities. The podcast is hosted by Dr. Amy Clark, a Professor of Communication Studies and Director of the Center for Appalachian Studies at the University of Virginia's College at Wise. The podcast is based on her 2013 co-edited book Talking Appalachian: Voice, Identity, and Community. Her writing on Appalachia has appeared in the New York Times, Oxford American Magazine, Salon.com, on NPR, and Harvard University Press blog. She is also founder and director of the Appalachian Writing Project, which serves teachers, students, and the communities of the central Appalachian region.
Episodes
52 episodes
From the Highlands to the Hollers: Outlander, Scots English and Appalachian Englishes
Outlander fans will enjoy this episode, where we trace the winding trail of language from the misty Highlands of Scotland to the shaded hollers of Appalachia. Along the way, we unpack double modals like “might could,” trace the evolution of the...
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Season 2
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Episode 53
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13:58

Appalachian Accents and Speech Recognition Technology
Have you ever tried text to speech with your accent, only to find your message garbled? In this episode of The Talking Appalachian Podcast, we'll explore speech technology and how AI interacts (and doesn't) with the unique accents foun...
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Season 2
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Episode 52
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16:52

Talkin' Truth with NYT Bestselling Author of The Glass Castle Jeannette Walls
Jeannette Walls is hailed as one of the world's most gifted storytellers, and she's been sharing her remarkable story of resilience and redemption with audience since her memoir, The Glass Castle, was published in 2005. The book chroni...
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Season 2
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Episode 51
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25:49

The Meanings and Mystery of "Melungeon"
In episode 50, we will talk about the word "Melungeon," its multiple meanings, and the history of a mysterious Appalachian people known as the "lost tribe" (who claim Elvis and Abraham Lincoln among their members.) Appalachian historian Dr. Bri...
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Season 2
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Episode 50
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16:18

The Word "Dadgum" and author Silas House on Defeating Accent Bullies "One Word at a Time"
Listen to find out what word people are replacing with the euphemism "dadgum." Then, author and Kentucky Poet Laureate Silas House reads from his essay "In My Own Country," about how his parents learned to defeat those who were making fun of th...
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Season 2
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Episode 49
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10:31

"Them guys," Three Reasons We Will Always Talk Appalachian, and an Excerpt from Lee Smith
You know the phrases "How do you like them apples?" and "Them's fightin' words!" We'll talk about the Scotch-Irish roots of them for these and those. Then, I'll tell you three of the top reasons why Appalachian s...
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11:50

"Here's you a piece of pizza": a common grammar pattern in the South, and Wool as a Verb
"Here's you a piece of pizza. Where's me some silverware? There's us a table." We'll talk about this common grammar pattern and where it's spoken. Then, we'll switch to the word "wool," a word used as a verb in vernacular southern Englishes sin...
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6:35

The Best of 2024: Highlights Part 2
Listen to more of the best clips from 2024's podcast episode, including:Jack Beck talking about the influence of Scots Gaelic;Jane Hicks reading from her book of poetry, The Safety of Small Things;The orig...
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Season 2
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Episode 45
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31:48

The Best of 2024: Highlight Clips from Selected Episodes
This episode includes highlights from some of the best episodes of 2024, which include:my interview with Pulitzer-winning reporter and memoirist Rick Bragg;a study of two letters written a century apart and their dialect si...
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Season 2
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Episode 44
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26:58

The Christmas Poke, a Hard Candy Christmas, Old Christmas, and Animals Praying at Midnight in Appalachia
We're exploring some Appalachian Christmas traditions in this episode from The Christmas poke, or treat bag, to the term "Hard Candy Christmas," made popular in a Dolly Parton song. We'll also talk about Old Christmas, its origins, and why peop...
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Season 2
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Episode 43
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20:19

Graveyards, Famous Houses, and an Inspirational Mailbox in the Middle of Nowhere: Sleepy Hollow to Sunset Beach
In this places and spaces episode that starts in the northern reaches of the Appalachian plateau, we travel from quaint Sleepy Hollow, New York to the serene sands of Sunset Beach, North Carolina, uncovering stories of history, literature, and ...
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28:20

What Do We Mean by 'Directly' and 'Needs Washed'?
This episode is about a word and a phrase that are still commonly used in the Appalachian region. First, I'll offer a little refresher on what makes up a dialect and how these words fit in. We'll talk about "directly" as in "I'll be there direc...
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Season 2
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Episode 41
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9:07

Places and Spaces: Edgar Allen Poe's Baltimore Home and a Reading of "The Raven"
In this "Places and Spaces" episode, we'll mark the October anniversary of Edgar Allen Poe's mysterious death with a visit to Poe's house in Baltimore and the cemetery where he is buried. Then, listen to a haunting reading of "The Rave...
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Season 2
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Episode 40
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13:27

Grave Matters: Appalachian Death Lore, Burial, and Mourning Rituals
In this chilling episode (just in time for spooky week), SWVA Museum Education Specialist Burke Greear joins me to talk about pre-funeral industry Appalachian customs and superstitions surrounding premonitions, death and burial. We'll exp...
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Season 2
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Episode 39
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22:33

Appalachian Reckoning, Hillbillies, and Accents with Anthony Harkins and Meredith McCarroll
The co-editors of Appalachian Reckoning: a Region Responds to Hillbilly Elegy and the author of Hillbilly: a Cultural History of an American Icon join me to talk about the region's literary response to J.D. Vance's...
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Season 2
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41:31

Appalshop: 55 Years of Telling Appalachia's Stories
Appalshop was founded in eastern Kentucky in 1969, providing "space for Appalachians to tell their own stories in their own words." Its founding followed the War on Poverty, when Appalachia was put on display for the rest of the world in a way ...
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Season 2
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35:26

Adriana Trigiani: a Bestselling Author on Books, Movies, Podcasting, and Place
Adri and I sit down at the Library of Virginia to catch up and talk about writing, The Origin Project, her podcast (
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Season 2
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25:56

Finding Glimmers with Poet Jane Hicks and Music by Tiffany Williams
Poet Jane Hicks is the author of three award-winning poetry collections: Blood and Bone Remember, Driving with the Dead, and recently,
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Season 2
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29:33

"Hillbilly" and an Interview with Journalist and Documentary Filmmaker Ashley York
In this episode, I explore the word "hillbilly" with native Kentuckian and documentary filmmaker Ashley York, who co-directed the award-winning film by the same name in 2018. I talk about the history of the word first, and then Ashley and I dis...
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Season 2
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41:54

The Meaning of "Redneck" and Its Role in the U.S. Labor Movement
Redneck. Hillbilly. White Trash. These are some of the class-based words used to describe people of Appalachia. But did you know that redneck, in particular, has a very special meaning associated with red bandanas worn in solidarity by...
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24:38

Appalachia's Scottish Roots and the Dialect Influences of Scots Gaelic
Musician and storyteller Jack Beck, a native of Dunfermline, Scotland, joins me in this episode to talk about his homeland's cultural connection to the Appalachian region. He'll tell us about: how Scots-English came to be part of the Appalachia...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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46:15

A Conversation with Barbara Kingsolver Part II
In this continuation of the Barbara Kingsolver episodes, the eastern Kentucky native gives her last talk on her novel, Demon Copperhead on the campus of The University of Virginia's College at Wise
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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1:03:08

A Conversation with Pulitzer Winning Author of Demon Copperhead Barbara Kingsolver (Part 1)
In this first of two episodes with the author of Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver says she is "bringing Demon home" in her last talk about the novel. She discusses her love of her Appalachian language, how the novel began at the de...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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45:01

Mountain Lake Lodge in Southwest Virginia: History, Mystery, and Hollywood
Join us as we spend a weekend at beautiful Mountain Lake Lodge in this Appalachian Places and Spaces episode. Hear about the history of the lodge, dating back to the 1700's, and why the property was once known as "Salt Pond." We'l...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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23:58

The Origin of "Dog Days" and Its Folklore, and the Southern Appalachian City of Knoxville
Dog Days has begun, and I'm exploring the origins of this 16th century phrase. Did you know the season from July 3rd to August 11 coincides with Sirius, or Canis Major (in the shape of a dog) of the Orion Constellation? Joining me in this...
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Season 2
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Episode 28
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32:01
