By Ron Roach | This third installment of a four-part series celebrating the Appalachian region’s contributions to the creation and culture of the United States expounds on a portion of the story told in the first installment: “Across the mountain: The courage and American legacy of the frontier settlers of the Watauga Settlement.” As a complement to that story’s mention of lesser-known patriots who helped deliver victory, this report endeavors to call particular attention to

By Rebecca Adkins Fletcher with ETSU colleagues | America’s 250th anniversary offers opportunity to reminisce about the people and places that make us feel at home. While this may spark nostalgic memories of simple moments, reflection also requires us to sit with realities of change. Few biographies showcase the diverse aspects of Appalachian life and culture like that of Dolly Parton.

By Ted Olson | Residing for many decades on a Henry County, Kentucky, farm, Wendell Berry lived what he wrote and wrote what he lived. He may no longer be among us in this world (he died on Aug. 31, 2026), but his writings — nonfiction, fiction, and poetry, published in over 50 books — will endure because they were created with unrivaled craft and wisdom out of Berry’s profound and prolonged relationship with his beloved place.

By Tim Sturgill | My maternal grandparents’ home was a sanctuary for a preteen boy in the late 1950s and early ’60s. I escaped there from whatever it is a 10-year-old believes he needs to escape. The world seemed smaller beyond their gate and larger within it.

By Wes Blake | She laid in her bed and looked at the glowing river of stars on the ceiling. She had stuck them there about seven years ago, when she was five. She wondered if they would ever lose their light.

By Patrick Cooley, The Archives of Appalachia, Sandy Laws, and Dr. Rebecca Adkins Fletcher | Apple Butter has a rich history in Appalachia. It likely traces back to early German immigrants in the mid-to-late 19th century. The process initially served to preserve the fall harvest through winter months, with the long cooking process ...

Poetry by Narya Rose Deckard, Tammy Iralu, Caleb Johnson, Grace Buckner, Michele Salin, and Suzie Taylor