ART
EXHIBITS AND POSTER SESSIONS ON DISPLAY:
Noon – 5 PM Friday and 8
AM – 4 PM Saturday
Art
exhibits in the Appleton Gallery, 2nd floor VRCFA, will include
quilts by the Down by the River Quilt Guild and a photograph exhibit
by the Athens Photographic Project regarding mental health recovery.
Poster
Presenters will be in the Poster Room in Massie Hall 204 on Saturday,
during Concurrent Session V, 2– 3:15 PM, to describe their programs
and projects. Poster presentations are listed below.
Poster
1. “Coal Mining in Montgomery County, Virginia: Past, Present, and
Future,” Anita Puckett, Convener; Virginia Tech Students Shannon
Flowler, Carol Davis, Aaron Collins, Anton Soukup, Monica Streeper,
and Kevin Tosh
Poster
2. “Appalachian Spirituals: Historical Development and Theological
Themes,” John Trokan, College of Mt. St. Joseph; Nancy Trokan,
Christ College of Nursing, Cincinnati
Poster
3. “Hoy region debut! A Mexican-Appalachian Heritage in Images and
Sound,” Monica Brooks, Marshall University
Poster
4. “Conducting Research with ARTists and ARTifacts: Ethnographic
Methods Used to Conduct Field Research on Paintings Produced and
Consumed in an Appalachian Tourist Destination,” Kristin
Kant-Byers, University of Kentucky
Poster
5. “Community-Based Research Education in Eastern Kentucky (CREEK):
Student Research,” Cynthia Cole, University of Kentucky Center for
Rural Health; Student Co-Presenters: Cynthia Glass and G. Franklin
Bills, UKY; Christina Martin, EKU. Student Co-Authors: Stephanie
Jones, Autumn May-Thacker and Heather Sumner, University of Kentucky
Center for Rural Health
Poster
6. “Interfacing the Quilt and the Internet,” Haley Brock,
Marshall University
Poster
7. “Appalachian Ohio Tourism – Growing Great Opportunities,”
Julie Fox, Ohio State University South Centers; Treva Williams, OSU
Extension, Scioto and Lawrence Counties; Amy Grove, OSU Extension,
Morgan County; Maurus Brown, OSU South Centers
Poster
8. “Riverview Community Center and Appalachian State University:
Toward Sustainability,” Brittony Fitzgerald, Danielle Rector, Lisa
Baldwin, Randall Fish, Joshua Noah, Mollie Surber and Rachel Westrom
– Graduate Students in Appalachian Studies, Appalachian State
University
Poster
9. “Mountaintop Removal: Moving Mountains for Big Coal,” Melinda
Bollar Wagner, Convener; Student Co-Presenters: Patrick Childers,
Patricia McMurray, Josh Van De Riet, Donald White, Sarah Fischetti
and Michelle Caldwell—all with Radford University
Poster
10. “Connecting Helvetia, WV and the World: Working Together to
Create Digital Photographs Archives Featuring the Artistic
Photography of Helvetia Photographers Walter Aegerter and Uriah C.
Shock,” Anna M. Schein, West Virginia and Regional History
Collection, WVU Libraries; Co-Presenter: Eleanor Betler, Helvetia
Archives, Helvetia Restoration and Development Association
Poster
11. “From Marshall to Malasia and Huntington to Heidelberg:
Internationalizing Teacher Preparation,” Kathy Seelinger, Marshall
University
FRIDAY,
MARCH 27, 2009
Registration,
9 AM – 5 PM, James A. Rhodes Athletic Center, Room 117 (Rhodes
Center)
Meeting
of Appalachian Teaching Program Directors, 11 AM, President’s
Conference Room
Exhibit
and Book Room, Noon – 5 PM, Rhodes Center Mezzanine
Silent
Auction, Noon – 5 PM, Rhodes Center, Room 116
CONCURRENT
SESSION I, FRIDAY, Noon – 1:30 PM
Fri.
Noon. 1. Mountain Music -- Roots and Influences.
Moderator:
Chad Berry, Berea College
“’That
Ain’t Old-Time’: The Shifting Ambassadorship of Appalachian
Old-Time Music,” David Wood, Appalachian State University
This
paper is an examination of the shifting ambassadorship of old-time
Appalachian music from native Appalachians to non-Appalachians or
Appalachian newcomers, specifically in Mount Airy, NC; Rural Retreat,
VA; and Boone, NC. Minimal research has been done in this area since
the old-time music revival of the 1970s, but the trends in
Appalachian music have major implications for the future of all
Appalachian culture.
“Ballad
Singer and Songwriter Zora Walker: How Personal Innovation and
Artistry Have Punctuated and Propelled Traditional Folk and Ballad
Singing in the 20th Century,” Susan Pepper, Appalachian State University
In
my fieldwork and research regarding ballad singers especially in
Western NC, I have noticed that many traditional singers are also
poets and songwriters. They often make up their own verses to add to
traditional songs. Some singers “arrange” their songs. Through
anecdotes from interviews as well as from the historical record, this
paper will present the songwriting as well as family music traditions
of Zora Walker to illustrate how personal innovation and artistic
taste have not only punctuated but have also helped fuel the
perpetuation of traditional ballad and folk songs in the 20th century.
“Black
Banjo Gathering 2005 Video,” Cece Conway, Appalachian State
University
In
2005, the online group Black Banjo Then and Now met face-to-face with
scholars and musicians at ASU in Boone, NC to explore and present the
African traditions of the banjo. This video suggests the diversity of
the exchange and shows the revitalization of black string band
tradition by the forming of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, now an
internationally recognized group.
Fri.
Noon. 2. Accessing
Higher Education.
Convener:
Pamela Twiss, California University of Pennsylvania
“The
Integration of First-Generation, First-Term College Students from
Ohio Appalachia: A Multiple Case Study,” Barb Bradbury, Shawnee
State University; Co-Author: Peter C. Mather, Ohio University
This
research focuses on the factors affecting the integration of
first-generation, first-term college students from Ohio Appalachia.
The literature is expanding on the college going process of
first-generation students; however, research focused on Appalachian
student success is still limited. This qualitative study supplements
the prior literature on the needs and experiences of this population
and serves as a resource for faculty and staff working with
first-generation students.
“Democratizing
Education through Online Education,” Carletta Bush, West Virginia
University
Increasing
numbers of students, especially those considered to be
non-traditional learners, are turning to online education at WVU
through Extended Learning’s Ecampus to turn their dream of
obtaining a college degree into a reality. The purpose of this
presentation is to discuss the ways in which WVU is utilizing state
of the art internet technology to fulfill its mission to the people
of the state as well as those living beyond its borders, both
nationally and internationally.
“Dreams
and Plans: Appalachian Ohio High School Students’ Access to Higher
Education,” Marsha Lewis, Voinovich School of Leadership and
Public Affairs, Ohio University; Brenda Haas, Ohio Appalachian
Center for Higher Education
This
paper will present findings from a two-year study examining
Appalachian Ohio students’ career aspirations, supports, and
barriers to higher education. It will include survey results from
high school seniors, parents, school counselors, and college students
from Appalachian Ohio. These findings will be compared to those from
a similar study conducted in 1992. While much progress has been made,
higher education access and retention persist as issues for
Appalachian Ohio.
Fri.
Noon. 3. Daughters
of Appalachia: Explorations of Women’s History in the Mountain
South.
Moderator:
Connie Park Rice, West Virginia University
“Female
Stereotypes and the Creation of Appalachia, 1870-1940,” Deborah
Blackwell, Texas A & M University
This
paper will consider a number of different sources to characterize the
production of stereotypes about Appalachian women and to then discuss
the lingering effects of such images on the region. Focusing
primarily on the time period between 1870 and 1940, the essay will
emphasize the importance of gender to the definition of stereotypical
Appalachia.
“Cyprians
and Courtesans, Murder and Mayhem: Prostitutes in Wheeling in the
Mid-Nineteenth Century,” Barbara Howe, West Virginia University
Nineteenth-century
prostitution was a complex business in mid-19th century Wheeling, WV. Court records and newspaper references were
useful sources in the research. Prostitution was a particular problem
during the Civil War as troops and politicians crowded into the city.
The paper will end with Dr. James Reeves’ proclamation from his
1871 report on The Health and Wealth of the City of Wheeling. He
condemned the “moral pestilence” of prostitution while also being
worried about the spread of disease and attributed prostitution to
several causes.
“Mothers
of the Miners: Mary Harris Jones, Florence Reese, Molly Jackson, and
Sarah Ogan Gunning,”
Heather
Ann Clements, Azusa Pacific University
During
the Depression, Kentucky coal mining union organizers Florence Reese
and “Aunt” Molly Jackson built on the legacy of their more famous
forerunner Mary Harris “Mother” Jones to challenge traditional
perceptions of Appalachian women “as hopeless, helpless, and
passive.” Contributing socio-economically and politically not only
to their own region but also the US as a whole. Jackson’s younger
half-sister Sarah Ogan Gunning promoted and expanded their legacy of
fighting for justice for Appalachian miners through her national
prominence as a singer-songwriter during the 1960s folk revival.
Because of their organizing and protest anthems, central Appalachian
natives Reese, Jackson and Ogan Gunning were more than “mothers”
to the striking miners: they were national labor leaders.
“‘Remembering
the Past, Working for the Future’: West Virginia Women Fight for
Economic Justice and Environmental Heritage in the Age of Mountaintop
Removal Coal Mining,” Joyce M. Barry, Hamilton College
This
paper examines the activism of WV women in this age of mountaintop
removal coal mining, arguing that unlike previous efforts that sought
to reform the coal industry by participating in various labor
struggles, current women’s activism operates outside this industry,
leveling broad critiques that seek to eliminate its presence in WV,
ending the social, economic and environmental destruction wrought by
Big Coal. Today’s activists, while cognizant of the jobs currently
created by the coal industry, possess a long view that sees
alternative energy as a way to diversify the state’s economy, end
the coal oligarchy in the state, and save the mountains and
communities of WV.
Fri.
Noon. 4. Preservation
of Art and Craft.
Convener:
Jim Dougherty, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
“Art
and Identity: Painters from Appalachia,” Rachel Westrom,
Appalachian State University
The
purpose of this research is to better understand what characterizes
Appalachian native-born artists of the Watagua County, NC area in
terms of the genre of paintings they produce. How do they identify
their own art or their own self as an artist in relation to the
region? The larger question addresses the distinction between fine
and folk art, specifically in the arena of painting which is
typically considered a fine art genre.
“Preserving
Traditional Culture in the Cumberland Gap Region,” Elissa Graff;
Co-Presenters: Joanna Neilson and Wayne Wells – all at Lincoln
Memorial University
The
preservation of traditional culture, particularly crafts, is
essential for a positive self-image in the tri-state region of the
Cumberland Gap. This presentation will discuss an undergraduate
research project funded by ACA-UNCA which has two goals: (1) the
identification and recording of craftspeople in Bell County KY;
Claiborne County, TN; and Lee County, VA and (2) giving students
practical skills in the areas of history, art, and communications.
“Eastern
Kentucky Arts Project,” Kendrick Holbrook and Kimberly J. Gibson,
Morehead State University
The
Eastern Kentucky Arts Project (EKAP) is in its third year of
identifying and documenting arts resources in Kentucky’s
Appalachian counties. Since first introduced at the 2008 ASA
Conference, the project’s website has been launched and a new oral
history component initiated. Students working with EKAP will provide
a progress update on this effort to gather and disseminate
information on practicing artists, community arts groups, public art
and historic architecture, art and cultural heritage centers, art
instruction, and exhibition and sales venues.
“Gathering,
Conserving, and Presenting Kentucky Craft History,” Philis Alvic,
Independent Artist and Writer, Lexington KY
During
this last year, a new organization has formed to gather, conserve,
and present the craft history of Kentucky. This session will present
the nuts and bolts details of starting the organization and the
evolving ideas that brought together the current Board.
Fri.
Noon. 5. Enrichment
Opportunities in After-School Programs.
Moderator:
Denise Shockley, Gallia-Vinton (Ohio) Educational Service Center
Co-presenters:
Fannie Metcalf, L.E.A.D.S.; Emily Dailey, S.T.E.P.S.; Larry Marr,
P.R.A.I.S.E., all with the Gallia-Vinton ESC
After-school
programs in southeastern Ohio provide multiple opportunities for
students to experience enrichment activities and experiences like
music, theater, drama, arts and craft, book and writing clubs, etc.
Learn about the program design, view a display of student work, and
complete a “hands-on” project in this session.
Fri.
Noon. 6. Appreciation of the Appalachian Environment in Action.
Convener: Roger Guy,
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
“Examining
Education and Development in Appalachia: Through the Lens of
Environmental Education,” James Addington and Francis Godwyll, Ohio
University
As
we observe Appalachia and the devastation that modern and postmodern
economies have wrought, both to the people and the land, the idea of
a new paradigm for an economy seem appropriate (Eller 2008). Bringing
the environment of place, through environmental education, to the
platform from which culture, education and development spring
illustrates a new paradigm.
“Chestnut
Memories: an Oral History Project,” Bethany Baxter, University of
Tennessee at Chattanooga and Donald Edward Davis, Dalton State
College
For
many residents the loss of the American chestnut is a metaphor for
the passing of a rural way of life in Appalachia. The American
Chestnut Foundation (TACF) is now on the verge of releasing advanced
generations of blight resistant American-type hybrid chestnut trees
into mountain forests. Researchers working with the Chestnut Oral
History Project argue that the chestnut memories of mountain
residents have played an important and distinct role in TACF’s
restoration efforts.
“‘We
Were an Oddity’: A Look at the Back-to-the-Land Movement in
Appalachia,” Jinny Turman-Deal, West Virginia University
This
paper explores the back-to-the-land movement in southern and central
Appalachia. Using oral interviews, underground and popular magazines,
memoirs, and fictionalized accounts of the movement written by native
residents, it investigates regional attributes, both romanticized and
real, that attracted the new settlers to Appalachia. The analysis
considers how both natives and newcomers perceived each other, how
the perceptions influenced their relationships as neighbors, and
attempts to determine whether back-to-the-landers’ experiences
lived up to their ideals.
“Scenic
Atlas of the Sheltowee Trace,” Boyd Shearer, Bluegrass Community
and Technical College System
The
Daniel Boone National Forest is Kentucky’s largest stretch of
wilderness. The forest is unified by the Sheltowee Trace, a 270-mile
National Recreation Trail. This presentation will discuss the history
of the trail, current use through maps, and many historic and scenic
features found along the trail.
Fri.
Noon. 7. Connecting
Appalachia and the World through Book Arts: Community Building in an
Independent Press.
Moderator:
Kate Larken, MotesBooks, Louisville, KY
Co-Presenters:
Silas D. House, Lincoln Memorial University; Marianne Worthington,
University of the Cumberlands; Jason Howard and Noel Smith,
MotesBooks
Publisher
Kate Larken of MotesBooks and four MotesBooks authors/editors discuss
the role of the independent press in building community and reaching
diverse audiences through recent publications. MotesBooks’ mission
as an independent publisher states: “our books are like [motes] . .
. filled with interesting thoughts that might otherwise go unnoticed,
even though they exist all around us. . . .”
Fri.
Noon. 8. Psychological and
Behavioral Health Issues in Appalachia.
Convener/Presenter:
Marty Amerikaner, Marshall University
This
program of current research and training projects tied to
psychological and behavioral health in Appalachia will be shared
through the following presentations.
“Pediatric
Behavioral Health in Appalachia,” Marianna Footo Linz and Isabel
Pino, Marshall University
“Telehealth
in the Delivery of Behavioral Health Services in Appalachia,” Lisa
Ryan, Sarah Jarvis and Ryan Price, Marshall University
“Training
in Professional Psychology at a Rural Appalachian Community
Behavioral Health Center,” Terra Rose, Jessica Taylor, and Ida
Hatcher, Marshall University
“Risk
Behavior and Music Genre Preferences in Appalachian Adolescent
Males,” Joseph Hamilton and Massimo Bardi, Marshall University
“Clinical
Supervision in Rural Appalachia: Ethical and Legal Challenges,”
Marty Amerikaner and Jason Weaver, Marshall University
Fri.
Noon. 9. Sustainability on Appalachian Campuses.
Moderator:
Randal Pfleger, Pine Mountain Settlement School
Discussants:
Cassie Robinson, Pine Mountain Settlement School; Sonia Marcus, Ohio
University; Tammy L. Clemons, Berea College
This
panel discussion will focus on sustainability initiatives on four
Appalachian campuses—Appalachian State University, Berea College,
Ohio University, and Pine Mountain Settlement School. A presenter
from each campus will discuss sustainability projects, programs, and
initiatives as well as their particular roles on their respective
campuses.
Fri.
Noon. 10. Friends of Danny Miller Meeting (Invited Panel).
Moderator:
Scott Goebel, Ft. Thomas, KY
Participants:
Sandy Ballard, Appalachian State University; Gillian Berchowitz,
Ohio University Press; Kate Black, University of Kentucky; Gurney
Norman, author, KY; Jack Wright, Ohio University; Sharon Hatfield,
author, OH
Friends
of Danny Miller, Appalachian scholar, editor, literary critic, and
mentor will gather for a Quaker-style meeting to remember Northern
Kentucky University’s beloved English Department Chair who died
suddenly in the fall of 2008. After panelists briefly discuss his
life, scholarship, and collegiality, the audience will be encouraged
to rise when they feel moved and to share their memories as well. In
celebration of Danny’s life, the session will close with song and
hearty hugs all around.
Fri.
Noon. 11. Using the Arts to Deliver Health Messages.
Convener/Presenter:
Sharon Denham, Ohio University and Ann Rathbun, Morehead State
University
Diabetes
is a problem of epidemic concern in the nation and appears that those
in Appalachia share risks similar to minority groups. Health
professionals play important roles in providing education and
information about health, illness, wellness, and prevention to
diverse populations. This presentation will share two tools developed
for a culturally sensitive toolkit focusing on family and community
as it addresses healthy living, diabetes prevention and diabetes
self-management. Time will be provided for a talkback session about
the presentations.
Fri.
Noon. 12. Connecting Three Famous Ohio Appalachians to the World
(Invited).
This
session provides glimpses of the lives of three famous Ohio-born
Appalachians: one who left in early childhood to business and
political success in the Lone Star State; one who returned to the
area as an infant and spent the remainder of his life in the region
founding a successful nationally-recognized agri-business; and one
who followed show business to Nashville and the Grand
Ole Opry.
Convener/Presenter:
Ivan M. Tribe, University of Rio Grande (Retired), “’The Blue
Bonnet Governor:’ An Ohio-born Appalachian in Texas”
“Bob
Evans: ‘Down on the Farm’,” Ray McKinniss, Manager, Bob Evans
Farms, Rio Grande, OH
“Cowboy
Copas and the Golden Age of Country Music,” John R. Simon, Author,
Musician and Teacher, Shawnee State University
Fri.
Noon. 13. Philanthropy and
Community Impact.
Convener:
Alice Sampson, North Georgia College & State University
“So
You’re Thinking About Starting an Endowment?” Kim Cutlip, Scioto
Foundation, Portsmouth OH
During
this session, participants will learn the following: what is an
endowment fund and program; the role of a community foundation to
help build your endowment fund; the Endowment Fund ABCs or CIDS
(contributions, investment and distribution); how donors and
potential donors view endowment funds; and what makes a successful
endowment fund.
“Capacity
Building Educational Series for Nonprofits,” Treva Williams, Ohio
State University Extension, Scioto County
In
this presentation, participants will learn about the process utilized
in developing the strategy behind the Capacity Building Educational
Series; marketing methods utilized, and impacts of programming
efforts. This educational venture could be replicated within the
Appalachian region to provide professional development opportunities
for nonprofit agencies and organizations.
“Utilizing
Community Philanthropy as a Strategy to Maximize Community
Resources,” Becky Nesbitt, Ohio State University Extension South
Centers
Utilizing
a variety of educational delivery methods, OSU Extension’s programs
focus on expanding the planned giving community, educating community
leaders about the impact of other community foundations, growing
grassroots philanthropic efforts within interested community groups,
creating a sense of urgency in capturing and retaining local
resources, and understanding the capacity for philanthropic growth
specific to their county. This presentation will share the basis for
these educational materials and some of the initial impacts.
“Philanthropy
in Rural Appalachia in Music and Video,” Mandilyn Hart, Shawnee
State University; Nevada Hart, Portsmouth, OH
This
presentation will utilize video to highlight stories of several small
communities that have benefited from donor support in ways that have
impacted their residents. As an avenue to encourage philanthropy in
Appalachia, sharing stories about how others have accomplished change
inspires action. Community philanthropy is the focus, with stories
about real people making a real difference.
Fri.
Noon. 14. Film—. The
Electricity Fairy: Appalachian Coal and America’s Energy Future.
Convener/Presenter:
Tom Hansell, Appalshop Films and Appalachian State University
The
Electricity Fairy is a
public television documentary that examines America’s national
addiction to fossil fuels through the lens of electricity. Appalshop
Filmmaker Tom Hansell follows the story of a proposed coal-fired
power plant in the mountains of southwest Virginia, connecting the
local controversy to the national debate over energy policy.
CONCURRENT
SESSION II, FRIDAY 1:45 – 3 PM
Fri.
1:45 PM. 15. Labor and Politics.
Convener:
Kevin Barksdale, Marshall University
“The
‘New’ Labor Movement in Central Appalachia: Claiming Community
Space in a Privatized Public,” Rebecca Adkins Fletcher, University
of Kentucky
Drawing
upon participant observation at labor union-sponsored events in an
urban Central Appalachian area, this paper describes ways in which
unions involved in a Central Labor Council are repositioning
themselves within the community by utilizing “new unionism”
tactics, including renewed interests in community participation,
charitable donations, and strengthening their political voice.
“‘Rally
Union Men in Defence of Your State!’ Appalachian Militiamen in the
Kirk-Holden War, 1870,” Samuel McGuire, University of Kentucky`
This
study examines the socio-economic backgrounds of the North Carolina
State Troops involved in the Kirk-Holden War of 1870. Additionally,
the work argues that George W. Kirk’s militia served the spirit of
the law as the majority of Company A and B militiamen resided in
Madison and Mitchell Counties, NC. The investigations also reveal
that Conservatives condemned Kirk’s troops with rhetoric of class
and race.
“Appalachia
Ohio Congressman: The Life and Political Career of Thomas A.
Jenkins,” Henry Tribe, Ohio University-Southern Campus
This
study examines the political career of Appalachia Ohio Republican
Congressman Thomas Albert Jenkins. Born in Oak Hill, Ohio, of Welsh
immigrant parents, he represented Ohio’s 10th Congressional District for 17 consecutive terms from 1925-59. During
his long career, he served for 8 years on the Immigration and
Naturalization Committee and 26 years on the Ways and Means
Committee. Throughout his Congressional career, Jenkins often
rebelled again his party by voting against Republican-sponsored
legislation and supporting Democratic measures in the New Deal and
Fair Deal years.
Fri.
1:45 PM. 16. Collections of Art and Gatherings of Artists.
Con Convener:
Donna A. Gessell, North Georgia College & State University
“Th “The
Tanasi Cultural Survey of Artists and Craftspeople in Upper East
Tennessee: Stimulating a Regional Economy through the Arts,”
Theresa Lloyd, East Tennessee State University
This This
presentation shares information revealed through a survey of artists
and crafts people conducted by ETSU graduate students affiliated with
the Appalachian Teaching Project. The survey documented the artistic
community in Upper East Tennessee which is extensive, professional,
and sophisticated but lacks cohesion. Gathering information for an
arts and crafts sales outlet was also part of the study.
Th “An
Exhibition of Contemporary Artisans and Craftspeople in Upper East
Tennessee,” East Tennessee State University Graduate Student
Presenters
This
This presentation discusses an exhibition of Upper East Tennessee
artists that will be at the Reece Museum at ETSU in April 2009. Some
of the artists continue to practice traditional arts and crafts while
others have taken the historical and traditional forms and evolved
them in innovative and provocative ways. Discussed will be the
pre-conceptions of Appalachian art that are embedded in cultural
attitudes that sometimes make it difficult for artists to break
through and for viewers and potential consumers to accept.
“Museums
and Identity: An Appalachia Case Study,” Carissa Massey, Adrian
College
In
an effort to understand the multifaceted role of museums in
Appalachia (especially museums by and of Appalachians), this project
will examine the forms, conditions, uses, and rhetoric of Appalachian
museum and display spaces, focusing especially on the social and
aesthetic roles of two Appalachian arts institutions: the Huntington
Museum of Art in Huntington, WV and Tamarack in Beckley, WV.
Fri.
1:45 PM. 17. The Perils and Potentials of Teaching Introductory
Courses in Appalachian Studies: ‘White Slave-Taking During Feuds’
(Mentoring Session).
Moderator:
Katherine Ledford, Appalachian State University
Discussants:
JoAnn Aust Asbury and Grace Toney Edwards, Radford University; Chad
Berry, Berea College; Dwight Billings, University of Kentucky;
Elizabeth Engelhardt, University of Texas at Austin; Theresa Lloyd,
East Tennessee State University; Emily Satterwhite, Virginia Tech;
Carol Baugh, Sinclair Community College
This
workshop focuses on the variety of approaches taken around the region
to teaching introductory courses in Appalachian studies at the
undergraduate level and will provide a forum for exchanging ideas
about successful pedagogy. Session participants will discuss the
challenges and benefits of teaching students who identify themselves
as Appalachians and those students who do not. Intended as a meeting
space for conference attendees interested in strengthening students’
experiences in introductory-level Appalachian Studies courses, this
workshop will encourage active participation by audience members.
Fri.
1:45 PM. 18. ‘Where
Drunk Men Go’: A Poem, With Music.
Convener/Presenter:
Richard Hague, Purcell Marian High School, Cincinnati and
Northeastern University, Boston; Michael Henson, Writer, Teacher,
Musician, Cincinnati OH
“Where
Drunk Men Go” is the longest poem ever published in the Appalachian
Journal and which
comprises a whole section of Richard Hague’s Appalachian Writers
Association’s 2004 Poetry Book of the Year. Michael Henson will be
performing traditional and gospel tunes throughout the reading of the
poem.
Fri.
1:45 PM. 19. Transforming Tradition through Music.
Convener:
Deborah Thompson, Berea College
“Passing
It On, Picking It Up: How Fiddle Tunes Move from Fiddler to Fiddler,
Tim Thornton, Radford University
Two
outstanding Appalachian fiddlers give surprising explanations of how
they learned to fiddle. Jack Hinshelwood has won a pile of ribbons,
fiddles with the Celtibillies, and performs with Sharyn McCrumb at
readings of her ballad novels. Buddy Pendleton is a five-time winner
at Union Grove, a two-time winner at Galax, and a former member of
Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys.
“Transforming
Tradition: Scottish Roots in Appalachian Fiddle Styles,” Jane
MacMorran, East Tennessee State University
This
presentation will offer an examination of bowing, ornamentation,
rhythm, and melody of two well-known Scottish fiddle tunes as
interpreted by Appalachian fiddlers in the Tri-City, TN/VA region.
Primary sources include live and recorded performances as well as
interviews with selected Scottish and Appalachian fiddlers.
“The
Trilogy Drawn Together: Redemption, Faith, and Folk Hymns in the
Novels of Silas House,” Hugo Freund, Union College
Silas
House draws upon his local experiences and local culture to inform
his fiction. Overarching House’s fictional characters is a larger
worldview—a worldview which resides in the human spirit, the soul.
This presentation shares a careful analysis of some of the hymns in
House’s works, suggesting the outlines of a spiritual and sacred
world that can redeem the worst of quotidian life. Ultimately, these
hymns suggest a universe in which there is a healing linkage between
the sacred and the profane. A religious hymn can lift singers to a
greater plane and perhaps provide some satisfaction in this life.
Fri.
1:45 PM. 20. Current Health Issues Impacting Appalachians.
Convener:
Mary Jo Graham, Marshall University
“Appalachian
Women’s Experiences of Unmarried Adolescent Motherhood,” Jan
Rezek, WVU-Tech
This
presentation will summarize the successes and problems of doing
qualitative research, allowing rural Appalachian women to be the
narrators with the possibility of feeling a sense of empowerment from
being able to share their stories. This study intends to fill a gap
in the literature on rural adolescent motherhood. It attempts to take
into consideration Appalachian culture and its influences on the
life decisions of the participants. This type of research can be
beneficial to health and social service agencies and anyone working
with youth.
“Resilience
Counseling Methods: Applications for Appalachian Clients,” Lonnie
Helton, Cleveland State University and Shirley M. Keller, Youngstown
State University
Appalachian
people are known t be resilient and possess strengths and capacities
for adapting to life’s challenges. Counselors, social workers, and
other human service professionals have a wide range of counseling
theories to choose from when serving Appalachian individuals and
families. The authors have utilized various resiliency and
strengths-based approaches with Appalachian clients from both urban
and rural settings. They will also share case study materials to
further elucidate Appalachian client receptiveness and responsiveness
to specific counseling methods and theories.
“Reaching
Out and Connecting to Women: A Reading from The
Blue Cotton Gown – A Midwife’s Memoir,”
Patricia Harman, Partners in Women’s Health Care, WV
This
presentation will be readings by the author from her debut book.
Discussion will center on the challenge of providing quality women’s
health in Appalachia and the perils and pearls of publishing.
Fri.
1:45 PM. 21. Don West and Jesse Stuart in and on Higher Education.
Moderator:
Chris Green, Marshall University
Co-Presenters:
Elizabeth Lamont, Lincoln Memorial University; James J. Lorence,
University of Wisconsin-Marathon County; James M. Gifford, Jesse
Stuart Foundation; George Brosi, Berea College
This
panel follows the relationship of Don West and Jesse Stuart—who
were first great friends and later great competitors—with higher
education from their first days at LMU through graduate school at
Vanderbilt to their continuing work as educational leaders and rebels
thereafter. Comparing the educational experiences and work of these
two charismatic Appalachian icons show how people with similar
experiences and circumstances, when informed by driving personal
vision, develop a breadth of differences and practice.
Fri.
1:45 PM. 22. Making Connections between Appalachia and Latino
Communities: Understanding Global Issues from a Latino Perspective.
Convener/Presenter:
Margaret Morales, St. Francis University
Discussants:
Rosemarie Mincey, Middle Tennessee State University; Sharon Wills
Brescoach, St. Francis University; Alicia Chavira-Prado, UCLA
(formerly)
This
panel invites others to discuss intersections between Appalachia and
Latino communities. Panel members will present research such as labor
of Latina mill workers, how multi-media and the Internet assist in
foreign language and culture courses in Appalachia—with the primary
focus being a model Study Abroad in Mexico Program for students in a
rural northern Appalachian University.
Fri.
1:45 PM. 23. Community Responses to Contemporary Coalfield Justice
Issues.
Convener/Presenter:
Lora Smith, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
This
panel presentation will offer critical analysis of contemporary
coalfield justice movements and how specific local communities are
conceptualizing and addressing issues surrounding coal mining, power
plant construction, and labor struggles.
“Environmental
Imaginaries, Conflict, and Power in Central Appalachia: The Fight
Against Dominion Resource’s Coal-Fired Power Plant in Southwest
Virginia,” Julie Shepherd-Powell, University of Kentucky
“Heritage
Sits in Places: Responses from Eastern Kentuckians Fighting
Mountaintop Removal,” Lora Smith, University of North
Carolina-Chapel Hill
“‘Banjos
Against the Empire’: Coal Mining, Mountain Music, and Community
Activism in the Central Appalachian Coalfields,” Jennie Noakes,
University of Pennsylvania
Fri.
1:45 PM. 24. Wilma
Dykeman “Faces of Appalachia” Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship.
Convener:
Linda Spatig, Marshall University
“Investigating
Sociocultural Constructs that Influence the Identity of Eight Women
in Central Appalachia,” Janet Justice-Crickmer, Emory & Henry
College
This
study documents how eight women, ranging from 18 to 83 years of age,
describe dominant ways of knowing, ways of doing, and ways of valuing
in a rural community in Central Appalachia and how these
sociocultural constructs relate to the identities the women have
created, assumed, and enacted during their lifetimes. Janet
Justice-Crickmer is the first recipient of this Fellowship.
Respondent:
Lynda Ann Ewen
Fri.
1:45 PM. 25. Identifying and Exploring the Land and its People Via
Technology.
Convener:
Dan Shope, Murray State University
“Identifying
Early 20th Century Southern Appalachian Agricultural Neighborhoods with
Topographic GIS Analysis,” George Towers, Concord University
The
Southern Appalachian agricultural neighborhoods of a century ago were
small, cohesive communities that defined the region’s rural
landscape. This research systematically relocates these neighborhoods
and maps the historical social geography of agrarian Appalachia.
“A
Geographical Exploration of the Demographic Differentiation Across
Central Appalachia,” Timothy Hare, Morehead State University
The
presenter uses geographical analysis techniques to explore the
complex environmental, social, economic, and demographic patterns
across central Appalachia and reveals the forces underlying
Appalachian society and culture. These techniques include thematic
mapping and exploratory spatial and temporal data analysis. The
results highlight a complex mosaic of demographic patterns and the
interplay of many different factors underlying Appalachian
communities.
“All
Places Great and Small: Place Names in Appalachia,” Steven
Parkansky, Morehead State University
The
U. S. Geological Survey has established the Geographic Names
Information System (GNIS) as a standardized digital database for
geographic names (place names) with public access via the World Wide
Web. This presentation will explore place names of Appalachian
Kentucky. It will explain how place names are collected for this
project and will discuss some of the more colorful place names and in
some cases, the derivation of the name.
Fri.
1:45 PM. 26. Film— Appalachia in the Academy: the Making of Eastern Kentucky Scholars.
Convener/Presenter:
Christopher Stapel, Eastern Kentucky University
This
presentation takes a look at the experiences of three Appalachian
students during their first year at the University of Kentucky where
they face unique challenges and ultimately successes. The documentary
(a KET Fund for Independent Production) shares their histories,
expectations, goals, and fears as well as those of their families and
communities.
Fri.
1:45 PM. 27. On the Move Session – Art and Architecture of
Portsmouth
Walk
through the city with the Director of Main Street Portsmouth. View
the art and architecture and learn more about the cooperation,
collaboration, and leadership that enabled Portsmouth to successfully
earn the “Main Street” designation. Highlights include a
walkthrough of an early 20th century retail structure beautifully renovated into upscale
apartments, another restored retail establishment, the city’s Post
Office that features large works by WPA muralists including the noted
Clarence Carter, and much more! Meet at the Information Table in the
Rhodes Center. Families
and guests of conference participants are welcome.
Fri.
1:45 PM. 28. On the Move Session – Guided Tour of the Philip Moore
Stone House
The
Stone House is located off SR 239 in West Portsmouth. The home opens
its door to many visitors each year who want a glimpse of home life
in one of southern Ohio’s few primitive homes remaining intact. The
ancient blocks were carved from a ledge of rock only a stone’s
throw away and still bring attention more than 200 years after they
were laid. A van tour to the Stone House will depart from the VRCFA
Lobby, west entrance. Register early at the information table. Van
seating is limited with seating preference for conference
participants. Families
and guests of conference participants are welcome as van space
permits or they can travel on their own. A
$2.00 donation is requested of each visitor.
Fri.
1:45 PM. 29. On the Move Session – Guided Tour of the Precious
Treasures Quilt Show
The
Down by the River Quilt Guild celebrates its 10th anniversary with
its “Precious Treasures” Quilt Show at the beautiful Portsmouth
Public Library located 3 blocks from campus. The show features a
variety of quilts from hand-made to machine stitched. Enter a raffled
to win a beautiful quilt. Guided tours to the Portsmouth Public
Library begin at the steps of the Clark Memorial Library on the SSU
campus. Families and
guests of conference participants are welcome.
3
PM Refreshment Break Sponsored by the University Press of Kentucky,
Rhodes Center Gym
CONCURRENT
SESSION III, FRIDAY 3:30 – 4:45 PM
Fri.
3:30 PM. 30. Reweaving the Grapevine: Expanding and Sustaining
Appalachian Communities through Social Network Technology.
With
the advent of the Internet, cell phone networks, and broadband
access, Appalachians can now use Internet-based tools for
self-improvement and education and to bridge the social spaces to
connect college towns, hills, and hollows. This session will feature
analyses and experiences of three people in Appalachia who were
connected to each other solely by the power of social networking.
They will also share these tools and networks to further expand the
conversation.
Convener/Presenter:
Laura J. Little, Marshall University, “Higher Education and Social
Networking in Appalachia”
“The
Internet as Catalyst for Community Development and Change,” Maura
Conway, Marshall University
“Social
Networking in Teaching and the Arts,” Rebecca Burch, Charleston
Catholic High School
Fri.
3:30 PM. 31. Appalshop at 40 Years.
Moderator/Presenter:
Art Menius, Director, Appalshop
Co-Presenters:
William Turner, NEH Chair of Appalachian Studies, Berea College; Jack
Wright, Ohio University School of Film; Helen Lewis, Author,
Professor and Community Organizer; Herb e Smith and Mimi Pickering,
Appalshop Filmmakers; Rich Kirby, Radio Producer for Appalshop’s
WMMT-FM
In
October 2009, Appalshop, the non-profit media, arts, and education
center, will reach age forty—a remarkable accomplishment for such
an institution. This panel will explore how Appalshop came to exist,
its basic operating principles and how they have evolved over the
years, and how Appalshop’s work in film, theater, and radio have
contributed to the field of Appalachian Studies.
Fri.
3:30 PM. 32. Connecting Quilts, the Underground Railroad, and
Appalachia.
Convener:
Sheila Maggard, Ohio State University Extension-Adams County
“Retentions
of African Memory Systems in Appalachia: Foundation for an
Underground RR Quilt Code,” Omope Carter Daboiku, Homeside Cultural
Programming and Kathryne Gardette Adinkras, Cincinnati, OH
Despite
numerous first-person accounts and books such as Hidden
in Plain View,
controversy remains regarding the validity of any Underground
Railroad Quilt Code. This presentation examines the use of symbology
in riddles, games, patterns, and poems in African and Native American
cultures and proposes that these traditional uses of symbology
support the probability of a coded language, both visual and oral,
used by “freedom seekers” and abolitionists.
“The
Underground Railroad, Quilts, and Appalachia,” Nancy Aiken,
Independent Scholar, Guysville, OH and Ada Woodson Adams,
Multicultural Genealogical Center, Chesterhill, OH
Much
controversy has surrounded the assertion that quilts were used in
various ways to aid escape via the Underground Railroad. The
presenters will explore this notion from a few new angles including
considering the logic of the arguments and looking for clues in
quilts made by enslaved people and free people, especially those in
Appalachia.
Fri.
3:30 PM. 33. Innovation and Reform in Art and Craft.
Convener:
Donna Sue Groves, Adams County, OH
“Appalachian
Crafts as the Traditional Evolves to 21st Century Innovation,”
Michael Joslin, Lees-McRae College
While
many Appalachian crafters still maintain traditional skills and
techniques, others move in a more contemporary direction. For
example, some blacksmiths make knives and functional tools while
others create larger-than-life sculptures. Traditional masons adapt
their skills to dressing the walls and acreage of gated communities
and contemporary artists work in mixed media. The skills, drive and
intelligence remain, but the art would astound the artisans of
earlier generations.
“The
New Folk Schools of Southwest Virginia,” Ernest Lee, Carson-Newman
College
Since
their introduction into the Appalachian region early in the 20th century, folk schools have had a striking effect on the development
and preservation of folk art and culture and on tourism and regional
interests. Such folk schools as Highlander and John C. Campbell have
been able to redefine themselves and their purposes and survive, and
even flourish, in difficult times while others have declined or been
forced to close. Surprisingly two new folk schools have opened in
Southwest VA and are attempting to find their places in the region.
Is it possible that the times are right for a folk school revival in
Appalachia?
“Legacy
and Liability: Reform Movements and Appalachian Art,” Joy Gritton,
Morehead State University
Appalachian
art and craft have long been entangled with issues of economic
development, cultural preservation, and acculturative education.
Reform-minded mountain workers from the time of the Settlement
Schools to the War on Poverty turned to the arts for remedies to the
region’s “ills.” Inequities of power allowed interventionists
to both frame the problems and prescribe the solutions. This
presentation will reflect upon the legacy of this history for art and
craft of the mountains.
“The
Millers’ Tale: Mills and Millers in Floyd County, Virginia,”
Ricky Cox, Radford University
In
a long-term study of about 150 Floyd County, VA water-powered mills,
millers and millers’ wives have emerged as unique characters with
motivations far more complex than mere financial gain, an object that
generally led to disappointment and regular changes of ownership.
This presentation looks at the unseen bonds of kinship that underlay
many partnerships and successions of ownership and at the market
forces, inside and out, that led people to buy, operate, and sell
grist mills, and so involving themselves in this ancient and
generally honorable process and craft.
Fri.
3:30 PM. 34. Disparities in Health Care Access.
Convener:
Sharon Denham, Ohio University
“Overcoming
Disparities in Access to Health Care in Appalachia,” Karen Miller,
University of Kentucky
Discovering
issues that impede access to health care for individuals from
Appalachia is critical to overcoming these barriers. The ways power
relations at all level affect this access is poorly understood. This
paper addresses how “adjusting” our theoretical perspective to
include a multiplicity of power relations and by adopting what
Burawoy called an Extended Case Method, anthropologists can then
produce more reliable and accurate research.
“The
Voice of Cancer in Appalachia: An African American Perspective,”
Patricia Jacobs, Virginia Tech
This
study examines African Americans’ views on cancer diagnosis and
treatment. Identifying cancer health disparities among African
Americans is an important first step in reducing cancer rates and
increasing survivability in that population. Semi-structured
interviews with adult cancer patients serve as the basis for this
study.
“Medicaid
in Rural Areas: A New Disparity?” Richard Mulcahy, University of
Pittsburgh at Titusville
A
disparity has long existed in the American health delivery system
whereby rural America lagged behind urban areas in access to and
quality of health services. That disparity has been blunted over the
last 60 years by various private and government-sponsored initiatives
including Medicaid, resulting in an increase in the number of medical
providers and institutions in rural areas. Nevertheless, access to
health services by the rural poor may be decreasing due to the fact
that more physicians in rural practice appear to be either refusing
to accept new Medicaid patients or are opting out of participating in
Medicaid. This paper takes an initial look at this issue.
“‘I’ll
Play Uppity if it Gets Me a Better Doctor’: Gender and Health Care
Decision Making in the Kentucky Foothills,” Elizabeth New,
University of Kentucky
This
paper begins a discussion of the role that class plays in
decision-making strategies used by Appalachian women in regard to
health care. The U. S. has a long history of ignoring the role that
class plays in constructing and maintaining social inequality. This
preliminary study examined the connections among class, gender, and
health care access in the Appalachian foothills of Kentucky. Using
the construct of class performativity, the researcher seeks to
explain how class is acted out in everyday social situations to gain
access to health care resources.
Fri.
3:30 PM. 35. Mobilizing for
Environmental Justice Across Regions: Appalachian and Black Belt
Activists and Scholars Exchange Stories.
Moderator:
Rosalind Harris, University of Kentucky
Co-Presenters:
Suzanne Tallichet, Morehead State University; Sokoya Finch, Florida
Family Network; Lisa Conley, University of Kentucky
Activists
and scholars from Appalachia and the Black Belt South will exchange
stories about environmental justice mobilizations that are
confronting historical inequalities and the dynamics of globalization
within the respective regions. The discussion will emphasize the role
of activist-scholar partnerships within these mobilizations.
Fri.
3:30 PM. 36. Race
and Gender in Appalachian Ohio.
Moderator:
Diane Barnes, Youngstown State University
Across
the 19th and 20th centuries, women and people of color have lived on the margins in
Appalachia. In a region often described as existing on the periphery
of the world economy, gendered constructions have developed uniquely
and deserve special attention. This panel of papers aims to give
voice to the women and ethnic Appalachians in Ohio.
“Women’s
Work: From the Farm to the Coal Camp in Appalachian Ohio,” Shannon
Grantz, Youngstown State University
“‘Foreigners’
in a Strange Land: Race and Abolitionism along the Ohio,” Connie
Park Rice, West Virginia University
“The
Filipina Experience in the Upper Ohio Valley, 1970 – Present,”
Delilah Ryan, West Virginia Northern Community College
Fri.
3:30 PM. 37. Preserving and Connecting with Traditional Music.
Convener:
Ivan Tribe, University of Rio Grande (Retired)
“Uncovering
Local Music,” Michael and Carrie Kline, Talking
Across the Lines Co-owners
As
folklorists we are transfixed by local music that mainstream people
rarely experience. In this session we will share traditional,
contemporary and original songs and songsters we recorded in our
documentary work. Now embarking on a new recording project, we
reflect on the joys of singing across the lines of race, class and
community as local artists contemplate a wider base of support.
“The
TAMIS (Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound) Project,”
Rosemarie Mincey, Middle Tennessee State University; Co-Author:
Bradley Reeves, Director, Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound
TAMIS
is a non-profit archive devoted to collecting, preserving, and making
available to the public the moving images and recorded sounds of East
Tennessee. Currently housed at the East Tennessee History Center in
Knoxville, TAMIS receives donated films and recordings from community
members, including a variety of rare home movies. This presentation
includes a selection of clips from the TAMIS collection and a
discussion of the importance of preserving motion picture film and
sound recordings at the regional level.
“Hank
Williams Village: Music in the Expression of Southern Identity in
Uptown Chicago,” Roger Guy, University of North Carolina at
Pembroke
This
is a socio-historical examination of an attempt of Southern migrants
to acquire city approval for funding to construct a commercial and
residential development in Uptown, Chicago. This paper will show the
importance of the cultural manifestation of music in Southern
identity and place. In addition, Hank Williams Village would have
been unique in urban history because it would have given a migrant
group a residential outpost and launching point for city and
neighborhood activism.
Fri.
3:30 PM. 38. Financing Public Education: The Politics of Inequality.
Moderator:
Ken Ellinger, Dalton State College
Co-presenters:
William Phillis, Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School
Funding; Joe Martin, Consortium for Adequate School Funding in
Georgia; Dennis Meade, Minford Local Schools (OH)
Given
that local property taxes are the primary funding source for public
education all across the U. S., it is not surprising that there are
vast inequities in how public schools are funded. Increasingly, poor
school districts in Appalachia and around the country are banding
together to lobby state legislatures and even file lawsuits demanding
that school funding be more equitably distributed within a state. The
panel session opens by viewing a film clip of the documentary Children in America’s
Schools with
discussion about actions and progress in various states regarding
funding public education.
Fri.
3:30 PM. 39. Presenting Appalachia through Literature, Local Color
Writing and Bindings.
Convener:
Shaunna Scott, University of Kentucky
“Exploding
the Monolith: The Value of Teaching Appalachian Literature in
Inner-City Environments,” Aaron Barlow, New York City College of
Technology
Though
over 100 different languages can be heard at New York City College of
Technology in Brooklyn, the accents of Appalachia are missing
completely. Nearly half of the students are African American; nearly
half are immigrants. What, then, is the value of an Appalachian theme
in a literature course there? This paper explores how exposure to an
aspect of “white American” culture and history, one most of the
students have never even heard of, can actually improve interest and
interaction with literature.
“Portraits
of Appalachia: Publishers’ Bindings 1880-1930,” Stewart Plein,
West Virginia University
Publishers’
bindings, the decorated book covers prevalent in the 1880s to 1930s,
presented a wealth of images in conjunction with the local color
literature they contained and helped to forge the stereotypes and
misconceptions of Appalachians and the Appalachian Region. This paper
proposes to illustrate the important role that publishers’ bindings
played in the construction of the image of Appalachia.
“‘These
Degenerate Anglo-Saxons’: Illicit Distilling, Local Color Writing,
and the Myth of Violent Appalachia,” Bruce Stewart, Appalachian
State University
Since
the 1970s, scholars have devoted considerable attention to the images
that local color novelists, journalists, and missionaries produced of
mountain residents following the Civil War. They have demonstrated
conclusively that negative stereotypes about the region often
reflected middle-class America’s desire to stress the benefits of
industrialization and “progress.” This paper will chronicle the
important role that the national media’s coverage of the so-called
Moonshine Wars in the late 1870s and early 1880s played in the
creation of the myth of violent Appalachia and the origins of the
“uplift” movement of the 1890s.
“Searching
for Home: An Appalachian Odyssey,” Lori Hypes, Radford University
The
presenter shares her research including personal interviews that
relate information and reasons that forced migrants to leave
Appalachia and the driving force that held their connection to
Appalachia. The paper focuses on Harriet Arnow’s The
Dollmaker and how that
situation is common to Appalachian migrants.
Fri.
3:30 PM. 40. Publishers and Publications: Connecting With Writers
(Mentoring Panel).
Moderator:
Phil Obermiller, Cincinnati, OH
This
session features a panel and roundtable discussion among book press
and journal editors, published authors, and writers interested in
being published with opportunities for audience Q & A.
Fri.
3:30 PM. 41. On
the Move Session – Guided Tour of Portsmouth Floodwall Murals
The
2,000-feet walk along the murals will take you through 2,000 years of
history. They are an amazing and beautifully-crafted piece of art and
history created by internationally-renowned muralist Robert Dafford.
Beginning with a mural depicting the Mound Builders who are ancestors
of the Shawnee Indians, the murals are a visual history of the
Portsmouth area—and its connection with the world. The project has
become the largest-known work of art by a single artist. Walking
tours of the Floodwall Murals begin at the Rhodes Center Natatorium
entrance. Families and
guests of conference participants are welcome.
Fri.
3:30 PM. 42. On the Move Session – Guided Tour of Philip Moore
Stone House
The
Stone House is located off SR 239 in West Portsmouth. The home opens
its door to many visitors each year who want a glimpse of home life
in one of southern Ohio’s few primitive homes remaining intact. The
ancient blocks were carved from a ledge of rock only a stone’s
throw away and still bring attention more than 200 years after they
were laid. A van tour to the Stone House will depart from the VRCFA
Lobby, west entrance. Register early at the information table. Van
seating is limited with seating preference for conference
participants. Families
and guests of conference participants are also welcome as van space
permits (or they may travel on their own). A $2.00 donation is requested of each visitor
5
PM Registration, Exhibit and Book Room, and Silent Auction Close
5:15
PM Welcome to Ohio Appalachia Reception – VRCFA Lobby. Sponsored
by Ohio’s Appalachian Task Force, the Ohio Appalachian Center for
Higher Education, United Seniors of Athens County, and the Area
Agency on Aging District 7, Inc. Governor Ted Strickland invited.
6
PM Banquet, Welcome and Introductions, and Keynote, Rhodes Center
Gym. Keynote, “Yestermorrow,” presented by Becky Anderson,
Founding Director, HandMade in America and Consultant
8
PM Enjoy a great bluegrass music concert with Summertown Road, Rhodes
Center Gym. The concert is open to the public at no charge, courtesy
of the Ohio Arts Council and ASA.
Summertown Road
is a fresh and creative bluegrass band that is comprised of
well-seasoned traditional and contemporary musicians, singers, and
songwriters who have come together and are establishing themselves as
a welcome sound in bluegrass music. The band consists of Jack Hicks,
Bo Isaacs, John Rigsby, and Randy Thomas.
10
– 11 PM Jamming/visiting in lounge areas – Massie Hall 4th floor Appleton Overlook Lounge and Kricker Hall 2nd floor Lounge. Both have vending areas.
Saturday,
March 28, 2009
7:30
AM ASA 2010 Program Committee Meeting with Breakfast, VRCFA Room 203
7:30
AM ASA Editorial Board with Breakfast, VRCFA Conference Room 208
8
AM – 5:45 PM Registration, Exhibit and Book Room, and Silent
Auction, Rhodes Center
8:30
AM Appalachian Studies Centers Directors Meeting, President’s
Conference Room
8:30
AM ASA Membership Committee Meeting, Massie Hall 020
CONCURRENT
SESSION IV SAT. 8:30 – 9:30 AM
Sat.
8:30 AM. 43. Bridging
the Gap Between Appalachian Development Theory and Community-Based
Organizational Practice.
Moderator/Presenter:
Sarah Riley, Co-Director, High Rocks for Girls, WV; and Missy
Westbrook, High Rocks VISTA/Previous Intern
This
dialogue session will bring students, college faculty and community
organizers together to discuss the ways in which organizations for
social change in Appalachia can be the chief builders of bridges from
educational institutions to on-the-ground community organizations.
High Rocks for girls is a non-profit organization that is dedicated
to support and strengthen young WV women from all walks of life.
Sat.
Sat. 8:30 AM. 44. Ways of Using Arts and Crafts and Music to Teach
Appalachian Culture and History.
Moderator:
John Richards, West Virginia State University
Co-Presenters:
Barbara Ladner, Emily Waugh, and Daton Dean - all with West Virginia
State University
This
panel presents various ways that arts and crafts and music can be
used to teach school children, college students or people in the
community about Appalachian culture and history. The panel will
utilize quilts from the Underground Railroad, dulcimer songs and
ballads, and various arts and crafts to demonstrate interactive
techniques for teaching Appalachian culture and history.
Sat.
8:30 AM, 45. Understanding Community Analysis Using a Rural Capital
Approach.
Convener:
Gregory Busch, West Virginia University-Parkersburg
Co-Presenters:
Sarah Breeden, Bridget Smith, and Alice Smith, WVU-Parkersburg
Undergraduate Students
This
session, facilitated by undergraduate scholars from the WVU
Parkersburg Sociology of Rural Life and Appalachian Culture course,
will explore models of community analysis in Appalachia. They will
lead a discussion of analyses based upon a framework of rural
community capitals as theorized by Flora and Flora. This session will
be valuable for anyone interested in creating a solid framework for
understanding the strengths and weaknesses in our rural communities.
Sat.
8:30 AM. 46. Mentoring Session with Becky Anderson, Founding
Director, HandMade in America and Consultant.
Convener: Joette
Morris Gates
Sat.
8:30 AM. 47. Will the Circle Be Unbroken? A Story of Appalachian
Family Musicians and Kinship Pedagogy.
Convener/Presenter:
Sherry Cook Stanforth, Thomas More College
Co-Presenters:
Jim Cook and Nan Cook, Musicians
This
artistic-educational workshop features members of an Appalachian
family band and their collaboration with college students to create
educational outreach programs for the local community. Drawing on an
interactive model of kinship pedagogy, the session combines music
performance with other expressive forms—creative writing, folklore,
dramatic presentation—to demonstrate some specific, home-inspired
approaches for promoting deeper investments in Appalachian culture
and issues.
Sat.
8:30 AM. 48. Perspectives on Tourism
in Appalachia.
Convener:
Susan Spalding, Berea College
“Can
Agritourism Save the Appalachian Family Farm? A Case Study of Two
Prominent Western North Carolina Farms,” Anne Chesky, Appalachian
State University
Has
embracing agritourism allowed the family farm to become financially
solvent? Are tourists getting an authentic picture of farming? Is
this movement sustainable—environmentally, socially, and
economically? Two farms in Western NC, Maverick Farms and The Mast
Farm Inn, have extensive histories as family farms and are currently
considered agritourism ventures. Despite their similarities, however,
their transitions into the industry have produced dramatically
different results.
“Connecting
the World and Appalachia by Reorientation of Art, Craft and Music
Experiential Tourism,” Peter Hackbert, Berea College
Co-Presenters:
Xiliang Lin, Alexandra S. Solomatova, Merim Matkulova, Tengis
Pat-Erdene, Ruttendo V. Mwaramba, Georgeanna Ward, Stacia Berend; all
are Berea College students
This
paper presents the results of community-based research of four
exploratory projects within a Kentucky ACM (arts, crafts and music)
tourism center. The project results are examined and discussed in the
context of innovative experiential tourism literature and practice.
Implications for small, rural Appalachian communities linking
traditional and contemporary ACM identities, images and community
heritage are reviewed and discussed.
Sat.
8:30 AM. 40. The Patchworked Identities of Jesse Stuart’s
Appalachian Subject.
Moderator:
Barbara Kunkle, Shawnee State University
Co-Presenters:
Cassandra Reed and Shawnee State University Students, Literature from
Appalachia Class
This
undergraduate panel will feature analyses of Jesse Stuart’s poetry
and fiction. Stuart maintained close ties to southern Ohio (the Land
Beyond the River in
his novel by the same name), taught at Portsmouth High School for a
period of time, and was known personally by many in the area. The
panel will attempt to reassess Stuart’s work for the 21st century using contemporary critical perspectives about identity
formation. The “patchworked” identities of Stuart’s mountain
subject reveal the cultural work he needed to perform to construct
meaningful insider narratives for the consumption of outsider (and
insider) readers.
Sat.
8:30 AM. 50. Telling My Story and Giving Voice.
Convener:
Anita Turpin, Roanoke College
Reading
from Power in the
Blood: A Family Narrative,
Linda Tate, University of Denver
The
author will read excerpts from her new book (Ohio University Press)
being unveiled at this ASA Conference. Based on extensive primary and
secondary research, the book reads like a novel with three
inter-related, first-person narrators telling the tale, tracing the
family story from 1830 to the present day. Innovative and
groundbreaking in its approach to research and storytelling, Power
in the Blood shows
that exploring any American’s family story can enhance our
understanding of American history, life, and culture and that honest
examination of the past can lead to healing and liberation in the
present.
The
Beveled Mirror: Reflections of an Appalachian Family,
Wanda Willis, Retired Teacher, Gallipolis, OH
As
a teacher for 32 years and drug education coordinator for another 9
years, Willis has had the opportunity to talk with many students,
attend many meetings, and hear many speakers talk about dysfunctional
homes. Resonating is the fact that a child needs at least one caring
adult in his/her life to grow into an emotionally healthy adult.
Wanting to tell the world about her mother when she began writing, it
turned into Willis’ own story with reflections of her family. The
author will read excerpts from her book, recognizing that many people
were placed in her path to help her become a successful lady who is
proud of her heritage and her Appalachian upbringing.
“Giving
Voice: Storytelling in Fisher’s Kettle
Bottom,” Renae
Applegate House, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
This
session will focus on the rich literary heritage of Lincoln Memorial
University and its connections to Appalachian literature over the
last century and today. Discussion will center on writers like Still,
Stuart, Scarbrough, Miles, and others while also looking at ways the
college’s Mountain Heritage Literary Festival is making a
significant impact on modern Appalachian literature and studies
today.
Sat.
8:30 AM, 51. Local History and Technology.
Convener:
Greg Clary, Clarion University
“The
Practice of Local Appalachian History in a Digital Age: Stories
of Life & Labor – Oral Histories from Portsmouth, Ohio,”
Andrew Lee Feight, Shawnee State University
The
presenter will exhibit the digital resources that are currently being
produced for the project, highlighting interviews dealing with the
Norfolk & Western Railway Strike of 1978. The session will also
consist of a short history of the project, show attendees around the
website, and conduct an open discussion of the technologies and
methodologies used in the creation of the website and all of its
digital content.
“Forging
Links to our Appalachian Past,” Cyndy Hykes, South Webster High
School
Co-Presenters:
Rebecca Trivision, Ohio Historical Society; Bill Fenton and Geraldine
Neff, South Webster Historical Society; Aaron McManus, Caitlyn
Stapleton and Corey Lawhun, South Webster Junior Historical Society
and Students
As
a high school history teacher focusing on teaching the state content
standards so students can score well on their high stakes tests, many
Appalachian students increasingly feel disenfranchised as much of our
study concentrates on ideas sometimes foreign to them personally and
generally abstract. This presentation describes a cross-generational
study funded by the Ohio Historical Society of local iron furnaces.
Gathering materials, producing a community webpage and collecting
local stories has resulted in students now showing far more
enthusiasm and pride in their heritage and older community members
are excited by the new technologies and sharing their stories.
Sat.
8:30 AM. 52. Mountain Justice as a Campaign, Organization, Movement
and Value.
Moderator:
Eric Blevins, Lebanon, TN
Co-Presenters:
Dave Cooper and Emily Gillespie, Mountain Justice; Matt Landon,
United Mountain Defense
In
its 4+ years of existence, Mountain Justice’s non-hierarchical
structure has proven highly successful in developing new leaders. The
MJ progression to a movement now includes a national campaign against
coal financers, outreach in 20+ states, and a national campaign for
clean energy on campuses. This track record of accomplishment is not
possible for a hierarchical organization where much work is done to
please those higher on the hierarchy rather than the entire group.
Sat.
8:30 AM. 53. Meeting the Woodworker and Viewing the Work at SSU
(Invited).
Convener:
Michael Barnhart, Shawnee State University
Bradley
Gray, Artist, Rome Hill Studio, Stout, OH
SSU
hosts several pieces of Gray’s furniture and musical instruments as
does the Shawnee Lodge. The ASA Conference presents a unique
opportunity for attendees to view the pieces with the artist as he
conducts a guided walking tour in addition to his giving a talk about
his recent museum projects for the Nature Conservancy.
Sat.
8:30 AM. 54. Place-Based Education and Connecting Identities.
Convener/Presenter:
Melinda Bollar Wagner, Radford University
“University-Community-High
School Collaboration: Place-Based Education in Floyd County,
Virginia”
Co-presenters:
Jeffrey Wood and Mary Dunford, both of Radford University
Floyd
County High School (VA) has launched a Place-Based Education Project
for students in a variety of educational categories, including
at-risk students. The purpose is to enhance connection among the
students and between the students and their school, their ongoing
community, and representatives of higher education. This presentation
will feature two university anthropology student mentors describing
their experiences in the Project and what they learned about giving
back to the community in this way.
“Has
God Made of One Blood? Interfaith and Appalachia at Berea College,”
Courtney Brooks and Katie Basham, Berea College
Programming
efforts to increase learning and reflection among students, staff,
and faculty have led to raw and unpredicted areas of discussion and
have ultimately revealed the need for innovative ways to connect
religious pluralism and Appalachia within the campus culture. This
presentation will discuss efforts, best practices and lessons learned
toward continuing the dialogue of Interfaith and Appalachia, and how
Berea College is seeking new ways to broaden hospitality through
partnership between the Campus Christian Center and students’
on-campus living experiences.
Sat.
8:30 AM. 55. . Self-Portraits, Conversations, and Studies:
Appalachian Identity and At Risk Appalachian Youth.
Convener/Presenter:
LeAnne Olson, Marshall University
“The
Lost Children of the Mountains: Varied Needs of At Risk Youth in
Appalachia,” Foy Tootle, Educator, Dahlonega, GA and Julie Best,
Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta
This
presentation includes a paper and video footage covering the varied
needs of at-risk youth in Appalachia. Presenters explore the
socioeconomic and generational issues which help increase the
prevalence of this portion of Appalachia’s future as well as the
educational and health care needs of these young people. Included is
an in depth examination of current methods and techniques used to
meet the needs of these children as well as various alternative
treatments and educational practices developed for these, in many
cases, forgotten children of the mountains.
LeAnne
Olson, “Self-Portraits and Conversations: Appalachian Identity
Among Girls,” Marshall University
Co-Presenters:
Heather Stark and Linda Spatig, both of Marshall University
Co-Authors:
Students Cassandra Adkins, Jennifer Dick, Marycait Hoke, Ashley
Williams and Sara Willis
Through
an historical and practical experience of self-portraiture, five
Appalachian females utilized visual means of expressing their
identity (photography, collage, drawing, and painting). Through the
process of creating artwork, students tend to be reflective about
creating their identity, leading to potentially interesting dialogues
along the way. The finished artwork, self-representation, creates an
additional forum for dialogue about how the individual girls view
themselves and how their impressions match or contradict how their
peers view them.
Sat.
8:30 AM. 56. Connecting through
Poetry and Fiction.
Convener/Presenter:
Arthur Stringer, Marshall University, “Two Poets and a Ghost: a
Reading”
Co-Presenter:
Ron Houchin, Poet and author of the 2005 Appalachian Book of the Year
in Poetry
Poets
A. E. Stringer and Ron Houchin offer a paired reading from their new
work in a presentation that also features readings from the work of
Louise McNeill, renowned WV poet. A new edition of McNeill’s Paradox Hill,
introduced by Stringer, is due out in March 2009 from the West
Virginia University Press.
“The
Way the World Is: Stories from Appalachian Ohio,” Michael Henson,
Cincinnati, OH
Among
his writings, the author has a body of fiction set in Appalachian
Ohio. He will read his story, “The Way the World Is,” and a brief
excerpt from his novel, The
Wind in His Circuits.
Adams County, Ohio is among the settings for this work which was a
finalist for the Bellwether Prize for Novels of Social Change.
Sat.
Sat. 8:30 AM. 57. Empowering Appalachian Artists, Organizations, and
Entrepreneurs
C Convener/Presenter:
Christy Farnbaugh, Strategic Links, LLC, Hilliard, OH
The
The presenter will conduct an interactive session designed to help
professionals frame meaningful conversations and communicate value
during the revitalization process. Farnbaugh will guide workshop
participants through new research including the RAND Participation
Model and Mark Moore’s Public Value Triangle. Workshop attendees
will participate in hands-on learning activities and explore a
variety of tools to help put theory into practice back home.
J
J 9:30
AM Refreshment Break, Rhodes Center Gym
10
AM PLENARY PANEL SESSION – “Connecting Appalachia and the World
through Traditional and Contemporary Arts, Crafts, and Music,”
VRCFA Theater
Invited
Music Panelists: Bob Gordon, Vocalist/Percussionist/Writer/Actor,
Gallipolis, OH; Jeanne Jones Jindra, Director, Madog Center for Welsh
Studies, University of Rio Grande; Tom Kopp, Board of Directors for
the Foundation for Bluegrass Music and Coordinator for School
Programs for IBMA; Don Rigsby, Director, Kentucky Center for
Traditional Music (Morehead State University) and Leader, Don Rigsby
and Midnight Call; and Jack Wright, Ohio University School of Film,
Singer, Producer of Music
of Coal. Panel
Moderator is Roberta Herrin, Director, Center for Appalachian Studies
and Services, East Tennessee State University
Invited
Arts Panelists: Donna Sue Groves, Consultant and Advisor for artists,
art organizations and communities; formerly Southern Ohio Field
Representative-Ohio Arts Council and founder of Quilt Barns; Sharon
Kokot, Executive Director, Ohio Designer Craftsmen; Dan Wickerham,
Director, the Glass reFractory, Adams-Brown Recycling, OH; and John
Winnenberg, Consultant and Writer, Sunday Creek Associates and Little
Cities of Black Diamonds Region. Panel Moderator is Richard Greenlee,
Interim Dean, Ohio University Eastern Campus
11
AM – 5 PM Art Walk -- Portsmouth Area Arts Council
Pick
up an Art Walk flyer at the Information Table and travel at your own
pace on this self-guided tour. Artists and musicians will be
stationed in many of the retail shops and eateries in the historic
Boneyfiddle District (Second Street and Chillicothe Street in
downtown Portsmouth) during the hours of 11 AM and 5 PM on Saturday.
March 28. Remember to wear your walking shoes. Families
and guests of conference participants are welcome!
12:15
PM LUNCH, ASA BUSINESS MEETING AND AWARDS, Rhodes Center Gym
1
– 5 PM Southern Ohio Museum Tour
The
Southern Ohio Museum will be open from 1 – 5 PM on Saturday, March
28. Admission is free. Families
and guests of conference participants are welcome. Lauralee
Webster will lead a tour of the five galleries at 2 PM; however,
self-guided tours may be taken at any time between 1 and 5 PM. In the
Kricker Gallery, Star
Painters in the Local Firmament will be showing, featuring six of our best Appalachian painters. In
the Richards Gallery, a habitat installation has been created
entirely from flood debris picked up along the Ohio River—written
up in Ohio Magazine,
House of River Sticks must be seen to be believed! The works of
famous local American Scene painter Clarence Carter are on display in
the Carter Gallery. Over 10,000 local Native American artifacts are
on display in the Wertz Gallery. The museum is located at 825 Gallia
Street. Check the website for more information at www.somacc.com.
2
PM ASA Long Range Plan Update and Progress Session.
Moderator:
Shaunna Scott, University of Kentucky, ASA Past President
CONCURRENT
SESSION V SAT. 2 – 3:15 PM
POSTER
PRESENTERS WILL BE IN MASSIE HALL 204, Saturday 2 – 3:15 PM, TO
DESCRIBE THEIR PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS.
Sat.
2 PM. 58. Exploring Similarities between Cultures.
Convener:
Lee Knisely Sanders
“Exploring
Similarities between Cultures Using the Arts,” Tess Little,
Sinclair Community College
This
presentation will share ways that the arts can be used to bring
communities together in caring and respectful ways. For the past 15
years, Sinclair Community College in Dayton, OH has held an annual
studies conference that celebrates the regions, many ethnic groups
and the similarities among cultures. This conference, REACH Across
Dayton, is a powerful educational tool that explores diversity and
multicultural understanding and enhances student and community
learning through the arts.
“From
the Great Wall to the Great Y Bridge,” Charlie Kearns, Artist,
Zanesville, OH
The
presenter uses a video to portray his being pulled from Appalachia
and dropped into the contemporary Chinese art scene as an
artist-in-residence. He brought some of the art ideas back to
Zanesville with its famous “Y Bridge” to reflect themes of the
city’s handmade history with pottery and baskets. This was capped
with conversation about art, labor and everyday life at the
Zanesville Art Center.
“U-Turn
at the Intersection of a Gaze: The Condition of Travel as an
Appalachian in the US and Abroad,” Kelly Renee Broce, Marshall
University
Much
of the presenter’s discussion will be based on her MA thesis which
discusses the condition of travel as an Appalachian in the U. S. and
abroad. Her presentation is fueled through Lacan and Foucault’s
theories of “other” and the “gaze,” and how interesting it is
to feel that gaze shifted in your direction by what the Western
hemisphere sees as the “other,” namely the Eastern hemisphere
(whether for better or worse).
Sat.
2 PM. 59. Leadership from Within: Defining Our Destiny.
Convener:
Kim Cutlip, Scioto Foundation, Portsmouth, OH
“Appalachian
Leadership Academy,” Betsy Gosnell and Karen Collins, Corporation
for Ohio Appalachian Development (COAD)
For
10 years, the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development (COAD),
based in Athens, OH has been preparing middle managers who work for
non-profit, community action or local government agencies to assume
leadership positions within their agencies and communities. This
presentation will inspire attendees to become proactive about
training future leaders in their communities to take on these
important roles. The presenters will describe how the Appalachian
Leadership Academy got its start and provide an overview of program
content; identify ways in which ALA is impacting organizations today;
and share some examples of how ALA graduates are impacting
communities.
“Ohio’s
Appalachian Task Force,” Tom Worley and Becky Nesbitt, Ohio State
University South Centers
The
Appalachian Task Force includes interested individuals from Ohio’s
Appalachian counties who represent education, business, local
government, social service agencies, health services, etc. The Task
Force works closely with the Governor’s Office of Appalachia and
the Appalachian Delegation in the Ohio Legislature to help address
critical needs within the region. This presentation will explore the
unique function of Ohio’s Appalachian Task Force as well as
strategies to build communities and the region through the
collaborative efforts of a multi-disciplinary group.
Sat.
2 PM. 60. Strong Women: Past, Present and Future.
Convener:
Delilah Ryan, West Virginia Northern Community College
“Bessie
Woodson Yancey: Talk It Over,” Katharine Rodier, Marshall
University
Younger
sister of educator and African American historian Carter G. Woodson,
Bessie Woodson Yancey was herself a writer of conviction. As a poet
in the late 1930s and as a frequent contributor to The
Huntington Herald-Advertiser,
Yancey wrote pithy comments through more than a decade just after
WWII of editorial-style letters on global, national, regional, and
local topics. With a focus on the shifting perspectives on racial
violence that Yancey subtly but persistently evokes, this paper
positions her work within the conversation during this time on racial
protest in this region and beyond.
“From
‘Which Side Are You On’ to ‘They’ll Never Keep Us Down’:
Appalachian Women and Their Songs of Protest,” Dana Stoker Cochran,
Bluefield State College
Women
of Central Appalachia have employed traditional art forms to
accomplish nontraditional results. Songs of protest written and sung
by untrained, but passionate voices against the exploitation of
Appalachian people and land have created a continuing legacy. The
lyrics of coal mining protest songs contribute not only to the music
of the region; the words also create a body of literature worthy of
consideration. They represent a framework within which to study
cultural, social, economic, labor, class and gender issues.
“Women,
Art, and Community: A Proposal for a Non-Profit Pottery Program for
Women in Appalachia,” Lahla Deakins, East Tennessee State
University
This
paper examines the relationship between women and art in both a
regional and historical context, focusing on Central Appalachia, and,
given the positive outcomes associated with art-making, proposes a
non-profit pottery organization that will serve the needs of
low-income women in Appalachia. Historic and current Appalachian arts
organizations have focused on the financial benefit of craft-making
for the poor. The proposed program is meant specifically to provide
an outlet for creative expression free from any economic motives.
“Examining
the Relation Between Gender and Student Outcomes in an Appalachian
Community,” Kristi Barnes and Kim Keffer, Ohio University-Southern
Campus
The
impact of multiple roles on feelings of academic competence and
utilization of resources was studied among a sample of college
students in Lawrence County, OH. The link between traditional gender
roles and gender differences in work and domestic responsibilities as
predictors of student outcomes were investigated. The potential
benefits of increased support associated with multiple roles were
also explored.
Sat.
2 PM. 61. Reclaiming the Missionary.
Moderator:
Sandra Hayslette
Despite
the home mission movement’s influence in Appalachia, it has
received little scholarly attention, and much of that has been
negative. “Reclaiming the Missionary” proposes to examine the
development of “mountain mission work” from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. The scholar presenters will focus upon key individuals and
the educational and cultural legacies of this movement.
“Evangelizing
Equality: Mountain Whites, African Americans, and Neo-Abolitionists,”
Chris Green, Marshall University
“For
the Mountains: William G. Frost and Christian Mission in Appalachian
America,” Shannon Wilson, Berea College
“‘Our
Founder’: John C. Campbell and the Missionary Network,” Penny
Messinger, Daemen College
“Henry
S. Randolph: Native Appalachian, Missionary Educator, and
Transcultural Pioneer,” Mark Banker, Webb School-Knoxville
Sat.
2 PM. 62. Film—Appalachia:
A History of Mountains and People (Part 4).
Convener/Presenter:
Ross Spears. The film is produced and directed by Ross Spears and
Jamie Ross.
Sat.
2 PM. 63. Traditional Music Documentaries.
Convener/Presenter:
Ann Andaloro, Morehead State University
Co-presenters:
Rachel Dyer and Steve Middleton, both of Morehead State University
Appalachia
has always been a region with a rich heritage of music. In this
presentation, three short documentaries will be screened and
discussed. These include: Sounds
of our Heritage: Women in Traditional Music produced by Ann Andaloro and Rachel Dyer; Reel
World String Band: Thirty Years of Music also
produced by Andaloro and Dyer; and Maintaining
the Mountains: The Preservation of Appalachian Traditional Music produced by Steve
Middleton.
Sat.
2 PM. 64. Connecting Appalachia and the World through Literature:
Readings from Motif – Writing By Ear, An Anthology of Writings
About Music.
Moderator:
Marianne Worthington, University of the Cumberlands
Co-Presenters:
Ron Houchin, A. E. Stringer, Edwina Pendarvis, Jason Howard, Silas
House, Denton Loving, Jeanne Bryner, Dana Wildsmith, Llewellyn
McKernan, George Ella Lyon, and Bruce Florence
This
session features readings by Appalachian authors included in this
anthology, the inaugural volume in a series. The session begins with
a short introduction by the editor and, in addition to the readings
by contributors, will include a dialogue with the audience abut the
connections the writers have made with music, writing, and readers.
Sat.
2 PM. 65. The Young Appalachian Artist in the International Age:
Finding Balance. Moderator/Presenter:
Denise Mathews, Student, Radford University English Club
Co-Presenters:
Radford University English Club Students Laura Bramble, Nick Hagood,
Sarah Helwig, Katelynn Lemons, Emma Bennett, Charlie Brogan, Matt
Prater; JoAnn Asbury and April Asbury, Faculty Co-Advisors of the
Radford University English Club
In
our post-modern, interconnected world, it is of the utmost importance
that our region’s artists find a balance between the diversity of
the times and the traditions that form the backbone of our most
primal of American cultures. At Radford University, young artists are
working to field this balance through an astonishing variety of
forms. This interactive session will demonstrate this variety.
Sat.
2 PM. 66. “To each [artist], his own [muse].”
Convener:
Alice Sampson, North Georgia College & State University
“’Coded
Dreams:’ The Pastoral World of Courtship in Billy Roper’s Works,”
Donna A. Gessell, North Georgia College & State University
Using
the critical language of the pastoral genre, this paper decodes Billy
Roper’s coded dreams, messages which negotiate the complex
relationship between the surface level of the works, their written
messages, and the larger concepts of the worlds—both real and
constructed—that they represent. Transcending the obvious, the
coded dreams offer clues to the artist and his complex courtship with
loved ones and ideas, including his place in Appalachia and its
intersections with daily life.
“African
and Appalachian Heritage as Influences for an Urban Visual Artist,”
Willis Bing Davis, Dayton, OH
Davis
finds the similarities of family and community values, pride of
place, and hard work deeply embedded in both traditions and seeks
ways to tap into and celebrate both traditions in his teaching and
artistic styles. He contributes his success to his ability to
acknowledge these two powerful forces and to draw energy and
inspiration from his African and Appalachian heritage.
“A
Portsmouth Setting for a Mystery Novel,” Mary McFarland, Southern
State Community College
This
romance/mystery novel portrays a bi-racial female from Portsmouth who
now works for the Department of Justice and must return to Portsmouth
to solve a series of electronic fraud crimes formulated around a
gambling casino on the Ohio River and the Branch Rickey Park. The
author will describe how the novel came about, the significance of
its place location, and character development.
“My
Bucket’s Got a Hole in It:
The Stories of Ida Mae Cook and her WV Ancestors,” Teresa Jewell,
Radford University
Telling
stories whether they are fiction or “God’s honest truth” is a
favorite pastime of many Appalachians and song or poetry seem to
happen naturally among the inhabitants. It is the need to honor and
celebrate being from the mountains that has driven me to write about
the things I love and love. The presenter will read a story about the
family cemetery and Decoration Day from chapter twelve of her book.
The Appalachian influence is evident in everything she writes.
Sat.
2 PM. 67. Rural Class and Industry in Northern Appalachia.
Convener/Presenter:
Jennifer Egolf, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
“The
Agricultural Extension Service and Its Class Implications in a
Rural-Industrial Community, 1916-1940
After
passage of the Smith Lever Act in 1914 established the Cooperative
Extension Service, state and local extension offices and farm bureaus
were established to “help the farmers to help themselves” and to
instruct them on the wisdom of business-oriented farming. Men and
women in local communities in Somerset County selectively adopted the
agricultural and home economics extension practices that best
represented their rural values and traditions. Class also played a
major role in determining which farmers accepted the extension
agent’s advice. In addition, the agents sometimes demonstrated
class bias when they wrote about local communities in their extension
reports. Thus, both rural values and class status contributed to the
success or failure of agricultural extension in local communities in
Somerset County, PA.
“When
a Farmer is Not a Farmer: Labor and Rural Class in Western
Pennsylvania, 1790-1860, Sonya M. Barclay, Carnegie Mellon University
[deceased 12/25/08; paper delivered and/or short memorial to Dr.
Barclay will be observed]
Farmers
in western PA between 1790 and 1860 engaged in many income-generating
activities in addition to farming. For many historians, rural
families are assumed to have derived their income solely from farming
and the image of the self-sufficient household is commonly portrayed.
A careful examination of local records primarily from Indiana and
Westmoreland Counties yields evidence of many non-farming activities
that can be broadly categorized and relate very closely to rural
class standing. Understanding that farmers utilized a variety of
approaches in cobbling a household economy is imperative to
understanding rural culture in the early 19th century.
“Envisioning
a Mountain State Without Industry: Proposed Solutions to
Deindustrialization of West Virginia, 1950-1990,” Louis Martin,
Chatham University
Beginning
in the 1950s, West Virginia’s politicians, businessmen, union
leaders, and educators sounded the alarm as the state’s factories
and mines struggled to remain competitive in the face of increased
competition and shrinking markets for their products. They diagnosed
the problem in a variety of ways and proposed a number of solutions.
Examined over four decades, the economic diagnoses and solutions of
the state’s leaders share a surprising number of similarities and,
taken collectively, suggest a failure to understand the history of
the state’s de-industrialization and previous efforts to reverse
the trend.
Sat.
2 PM. 68. Sex, Drugs and Consequences: The Effects of Negative
Behaviors on Appalachian Youth.
Convener:
Dan Shope, Murray State University
“Adolescent
Condom Use in Rural Populations,” Tammy Haley, University of
Pittsburgh, Bradford Campus
Engaging
in sexual activity provides the rural adolescent occasion for
exposure to the potential negative consequences of sexually
transmitted infection and unintended pregnancy. This presentation
will focus on the current evidence related to adolescent condom use
in rural areas, the real and perceived risks of condom non-use,
barriers to research, and special considerations for the rural
adolescent.
“Socio-demographic
Factors Related to Appalachian Students’ Illegal Drug Use,” Rhoda
Elam, Morehead State University
During
the past decade, illegal drug use has accelerated in rural areas of
the Appalachian region as have federal, state and local efforts to
enforce laws against it. However, relatively little is known about
exactly who in the region uses drugs. The present study examined the
demographic factors associated with illegal drug use in eastern
Kentucky among 460 undergraduate students. Findings from the study
will be presented along with implications for identifying and
targeting members of populations in the development of prevention and
drug education programs.
“The
Prostitution Myth: Destroying the Myth of a Victimless Crime,”
Joanne Hale, Sunrise Center, Montgomery County, OH, and Norma Ryan
and Cheryl Oliver, Southeast Dayton Weed and Seed
Prostitution
has always existed in Dayton, OH (a city with a large urban
Appalachian population) as it has in most every city, small or large.
The perception is that it is one of the chronic problems of our
modern urban landscape. There are clear links between prostitution
and various psychological problems that have occurred as a result of
earlier life experiences, most commonly sexual abuse during childhood
followed by teenage runaways, drug use, exploitation and
homelessness. This presentation describes the prevalence of this
victimless crime and efforts being undertaken or considered for
society’s helping keep young people from entering the profession in
the first place.
Sat.
2 PM. 69. The Art of Building Networks.
Moderator/Presenter:
Michelle Decker, Executive Director, Rural Action, Trimble OH
Discussants:
Sarah Watling, Central Appalachian Network (CAN); Connie Freeman,
Central Appalachian Regional Network (CARN)
Networks
are growing as a philanthropy and practitioner-driven strategy for
advancing social change goals. Which factors influence a network’s
development? How can the art (purpose, funding, and leadership) and
science (communication, staffing, and structure) combine to bring
about change? This session will share concrete “art and science”
examples of a new network, CARN, and a mature network, CAN, and how
different factors have influenced their evolution. Presenters will
take time to hear the problems and successes of participants and
capture the groups’ shared learning about networks.
Sat.
2 PM. 70. Student
Appalachian Poetry – Poetry Reading.
Moderator:
Neil Carpathios, Shawnee State University
Co-Presenters:
Katie Kaltenbach, Ammie Phipps, Kat Collins, Barbara Wilson-Battles,
and Cassaundra Mootz - all are Shawnee State University students
Shawnee
State University students will recite original poetry that relates to
their Appalachian experience. Prior to the conference, students will
have read and discussed previously published Appalachian poetry,
examining styles and themes.
Sat.
2 PM. 71. On
the Move Session – Guided Tour of Portsmouth Floodwall Murals
The
2,000-feet walk along the murals will take you through 2,000 years of
history. They are an amazing and beautifully-crafted piece of art and
history created by internationally-renowned muralist Robert Dafford.
Beginning with a mural depicting the Mound Builders who are ancestors
of the Shawnee Indians, the murals are a visual history of the
Portsmouth area--and its connection with the world. The project has
become the largest-known work of art by a single artist. Walking
tours of the Floodwall Murals begin at the Rhodes Athletic Center
Natatorium entrance. Families
and guests of conference participants are welcome.
Sat.
2 PM. 72. On the Move Session – Guided Tour of Precious Treasures
Quilt Show
The
Down by the River Quilt Guild celebrates its 10th anniversary with
its “Precious Treasures” Quilt Show at the beautiful Portsmouth
Public Library located 3 blocks from campus. The show features a
variety of quilts from hand-made to machine stitched. Enter a raffled
to win a beautiful quilt. Guided tours to the Portsmouth Public
Library begin at the steps of the Clark Memorial Library on the SSU
campus. Families and
guests of conference participants are welcome.
Sat.
2 PM. 73. On the Move Session – Guided Tour of The 1810 House, A
Museum of Pioneer Living
A
little over 200 years ago, members of two German families—Klingman
and Koenig--obtained a thousand-acre farm in the Ohio Valley and
built a simple farmstead. Using clay they found on the site, they
molded bricks and baked them under a fire in a hole in the ground.
The house still stands and is open as a museum to the pioneer spirit.
Visitors will see cast iron ware, candle moulds, washboards used with
homemade lye soap, a curious coffee bean roaster, and other displays
of what life was like for a “suttler family.” A van tour to the
1810 House located at 1926 Waller Street, Portsmouth, will depart
from the VRCFA Lobby west entrance. Families
and guests of conference participants are welcome as van space
permits or they can travel on their own. Preferred van seating is for Conference participants as this is a
concurrent session option.
3:15
PM Book Signing Reception with Music by Greg and Emily Beasley. Presses and featured
authors include: University of Tennessee Press, Michael Guillerman, Face Boss: Memoir of a
Western Kentucky Coal Miner and Lynn Salsi, The
Life and Times of Ray Hicks: Keeper of the Jack Tales;
Ohio University Press, Linda Tate, Power
in the Blood: A Family Narrative; University Press of Kentucky, Ron Eller, Uneven Ground; Silas House and Jason Howard, Something’s Rising; and Kevin Barksdale, Lost State of Franklin;
and Jesse Stuart Foundation, John Roger Simon, Cowboy
Copas and the Golden Age of Country Music (co-hosted
by SSU’s Clark Memorial Library).
4
PM ASA Awards Committee Meeting, VRCFA Conference Room 208
CONCURRENT
SESSION VI, SAT. 4 – 5:30 PM
Sat.
4 PM. 74. The Appalachian Volunteers in Perspective: Community
Organizing Then and Now.
Moderator: Dwight
Billings, University of Kentucky
“The
Appalachian Volunteers in Perspective: Community Organizing Then and
Now,” David Walls,
Sonoma
State University, CA (former Executive Director of Appalachian
Volunteers)
Co-Presenters:
Sally Ward Maggard, USDA Rural Development; Gibbs Kinderman,
Pocahontas Wood, WV; Sarah Riley, High Rocks for Girls, WV
This
panel session will compare Appalachian community organizing models
used in the 1960s and 1970s to more recent approaches, drawing
lessons for the present. It will include an inter-generational
conversation about organizing strategies “then and now.” The
publication of Reformers
to Radicals: the Appalachian Volunteers and the War on Poverty (Kiffmeyer, University Press of Kentucky, 2008) presents an
opportunity to assess the accomplishments and shortcomings of the
Appalachian Volunteers from the perspectives of its own time and from
ours. The session will begin with a paper addressing these topics
with respondents providing their analyses.
Sat.
4 PM. 75. Art and Architecture in Appalachia: Accessible and Organic.
Convener:
Jinny Turman-Deal, West Virginia University
“Artwork
and the New Deal: Murals of Work, Workers, and Industry in US Post
Offices in Northern Appalachia – the Case of Pennsylvania,” Jim
Dougherty, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
March
2008 marked the 75th anniversary of the New Deal. Among the innovative “alphabet
agencies” and programs established to assist in the national
recovery effort were many that placed unprecedented emphasis on art,
culture, and cultural documentation. This presentation describes a
community project focusing on documenting and contextualizing post
office art in Pennsylvania which attempted to reflect some aspect of
social life within the community in which they were located. The
project will preserve and pass the knowledge of historical working
class experiences to current and future generations.
“‘More
Than Bedcovers’: The Image of Folklore and Crafts in the
Interpretation of Appalachia Along the Blue Ridge Parkway,” Peter
Givens, Blue Ridge Parkway Interpretive Specialist
This
presentation will highlight numerous upgraded exhibit projects along
the Blue Ridge Parkway, the most visited unit of America’s National
Park System, and a place where the compelling stories of Appalachia
are revealed to millions of visitors each year.
“Every
Village Tells a Story: The James River and Kanawha Turnpike in Local
Legend,” Beverly Cooper, Marshall University
This
presentation considers how local histories and 18th – 19th century travel accounts support and context larger narratives of
expansion and progress. Local myths and family stories about a tavern
at Falls View, WV, believed to be a favorite stopping place of Daniel
Boone, are also shared along with images of people, life, and
landmarks along the old road.
“Frank
Lloyd Wright’s Appalachian Modernism,” Brandon Story, King
College, Bristol, TN
Wright’s
Appalachian works connect high concept with the elemental. This
research project examines Wright’s Appalachian homes with an eye
toward discovering how Appalachia influences Modernism and how
Modernism influences Appalachia. Do Wright’s Appalachian works
model a distinctly Appalachian Architecture? Do they point the way to
a Modernist Appalachian Aesthetic?
Sat.
4 PM. 76. African-American Musical Traditions in Appalachia.
Convener:
Bob Gordon, Ohio University
“The
Ohio River as a Cultural Conduit to Appalachia: French Dancing
Masters, Flatboat Fiddlers, and African-American Roustabouts,” Phil
Jamison, Warren Wilson College
The
Appalachian square dance did not exist when the first settlers
arrived in the southern mountains at the end of the 18th century, but it developed in the mid-19th century as European social dances—reels, country dances, and
cotillions—were transformed by elements of African-American and
Native American dances to create distinctly American dance form. The
development of this new dance tradition was influenced by the
Appalachian region’s proximity to the Ohio River which served as a
conduit connecting the region with the world. Like a backdoor to
Appalachia, the Ohio River watershed facilitated the dissemination of
music, dance, and culture throughout the region.
“’You
Gotta Be Born Again’: African-American Sacred Musical Traditions in
Appalachia,” Darrin Hacquard, Berea College; Co-presenter: Deborah
Thompson, Berea College
African
Americans have participated in the creation of traditional
Appalachian music as long as whites have. While black Appalachians
made vastly under-appreciated contributions to the string band music
associated with mountain traditions, African American sacred musical
traditions must also be appreciated as mountain music. African
American string band and country blues traditions fade with their
last living performers, but gospel music continues to provide musical
identity for young African Americans. The prevalence of sacred music
among black mountaineers indicates both a connection to a broader
Appalachian identity and a connection to African American communities
nationwide.
“Race,
Region, and Representation: Traditional African American Music in
Appalachia,” Deborah Thompson, Berea College; Co-presenter: Darrin
Hacquard, Berea College
While
African American influence is widely acknowledged in the development
of such genres as old time and bluegrass music which are often
considered to be the traditional music of Appalachia, traditional
music among African American people in the region has typically
developed to unify and affirm the black community’s own aesthetic
and social networks.
Sat.
4 PM. 77. Diverse Communications about Coal and Its Impact.
Convener:
Roger Guy, University of North Carolina at Pembroke
“Burying
our Carbon Footprints: Political Framing of ‘Clean Coal’
Technology,” Elizabeth Fine, Virginia Tech
Using
George Lakoff’s theory of political framing, this paper examines
the framing techniques of an influential proponent of clean-coal
technologies, Cong. Rick Boucher (9th Cong. Dist., Southwest VA), chair of the Energy and Air Quality
Subcommittee. It studies Boucher’s opening statements that frame
two hearings dealing with Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) and
his floor statement of 6/12/08 introducing a bill to create a
non-governmental research corporation to stimulate the early
deployment of carbon capturing and sequestration technology.
“Migration
of Kentucky Mining Families and the Black Lung Benefits Act,”
William Remington Leach III and Sara Patenaude-Schuster, Northern
Kentucky University
The
significance of our research is to help explain the Black Lung
Benefits Act, its aid to mining families, and the migration of those
mining families in Kentucky. It involves a multi-faceted approach to
understanding the appearance of black lung cases in a district in
which there were no coal mines. The research will be beneficial in
understanding the relationship between the miner, his family, and the
government in the western edge of Appalachia.
“In
Defense of ‘Humble Places’: The Relationship Between Humans and
Nature in the MTR Debate,” George Davis, Marshall University;
Co-Presenter: Wendy Williams, Marshall University
In
his essay, “The Trouble with Wilderness,” environmental historian
William Cronon claims that environmentalists make a mistake when they
insist on theorizing nature as something distinct and apart from
human experience. This phenomenon leads us to revere some (“wild”)
places while disregarding others, most specifically those places we
call home. This paper relies on Cronon’s insights to explore the
relationship of humans to nature expressed by local activists
resisting the practice of mountaintop removal in Appalachia.
“Connecting
Appalachian Environmental Groups to the World Via the Web,” Sharon
Wills Brescoach, St. Francis University
This
paper will present the introductory results of a larger study
evaluating the use of Web sites by anti-MTR groups to generate
awareness, educate the public, bring about political action, and
raise funds. It will be presented from a cultural studies perspective
as well as effectiveness of operation from new environmental online
communications theories. It is hoped that this research will help
define what elements of web pages are effective for grassroots
organizations using the Internet which helps to redefine the
geographical/topographical impediments of the past.
“An
Investigation of the 1968 Farmington Coal Mine Disaster,” Bonnie
Stewart, West Virginia University
This
presentation grows from a year-long investigation based on federal
records and interviews with miners who worked in the No. 9 Mine in
Farmington, WV before the disaster and during the recovery of bodies.
The session will describe this investigation and its findings. It
also offers a multimedia component that includes historic
photographs.
Sat.
4 PM. 78. Quilt Trails as Economic Development and Public Art.
Convener/Presenter:
Katherine Eckstrand, Ohio Arts Council
“Understanding
the Value of Quilt Barn Trails: The Ohio Story,” Katherine
Eckstrand, Donna Sue Groves (Founder of Quilt Barns), Adams County,
OH and Gail Clendenin, formerly with Voinovich School, Ohio
University
Appalachian
Ohio proudly lays claim to the groundbreaking community art project
known as Quilt Barns. Since their inception in Adams County, OH in
2001, Quilt Barns have quickly expanded to communities across the
entire nation. This presentation provides an overview of the Ohio
Quilt Barn Trail impact study which looks beyond the purely artistic
important of quilt barns, highlighting their great value for the
Appalachian region and their true potential in terms of the economic,
social and cultural strengthening of the region.
“Economic
Development through Quilt Trails,” Barbara Webster, Quilt Trails of
Western NC
Quilt
Trails of Western NC is a non-profit corporation formed to carry
forward the quilt trails project which began with a grant from
Handmade in America to the Toe River Arts Council. The presentation
will tell the story of the project thus far including creating new
jobs and a new revenue stream for many local artists; new customers
for local businesses; new excitement about the area that is bringing
in tourists and made us a day-trip destination; and new-found
community self esteem.
“Quilt
Barns and the American Quilt Trail,” Suzi Parron, Stone Mountain,
GA
Quilts
have a universal appeal that transcends region and culture. The
project that began in rural Appalachia has spread across the nation
and has become one of the largest grassroots arts movements in our
history. As author of the forthcoming book, The
American Quilt Trail,
the presenter will share images, recorded narratives and video clips
that highlight the Appalachian region and demonstrate how the project
has inspired communities across the nation to create public art that
honors the heritage of quilting.
Sat.
4 PM. 79. Special Services and Art Therapy for Protected Populations
in Appalachia.
Convener:
Ann Rathbun, Morehead State University
“How
an Appalachian Area Agency on Aging Connects to its Rural Audiences,”
Pamela Matura and Nina Keller, Area Agency on Aging, District 7, Inc.
(OH)
This
session introduces the unique connections made by an Appalachian Area
Agency on Aging by focusing on ways the agency serves along the
continuum of well-to-frail older and high-risk adults. Studies show
the clear need for collaboration. Illustrations of various agency
partnerships occurring in aging, training, health, abuse, university
research, internships, grassroots advocacy, and evidence-based
programs will be discussed.
“Journey
Toward the Heart Through Art,” Joan Staufer, Northeast Ohio Artist
In
her presentation, Staufer will explain how her move to a different
environment among Amish neighbors and in a small rural Appalachian
community impacted her own creative expression. She will show
examples of her paintings, how they affect the community, and how she
uses art to positively impact troubled and at risk youth by working
as an artist, teacher, and coach.
“Connecting
Older Adults and Wellness through Appalachian Art,” Sharon Bowman
and Suzanne Shelpman, Area Agency on Aging, District 7, Inc. (OH)
The
session will explore art as a vital link to wellness. The agency
sponsors events that support Appalachian artwork of older adults. The
Senior Art Show, Photography, and Poem/Essay Contests allow seniors
to showcase their art in various mediums. Participants will view
examples of artists’ works and learn the positive connection of
arts to socialization by older adults in Appalachia.
“Athens
Photographic Project: Enriching Lives through Photography,” Nate
Thomson, Athens, OH
The
Athens Photographic project (APP) is a nonprofit program in Athens,
OH that provides photography as an effective resource in mental
health recovery. During this presentation, APP artists and the
project director will describe how self-expression and community
involvement can impact an individual’s personal recovery while
publicly contributing to mental health awareness and to the fine
arts.
Sat.
4 PM. 80. Imagine
Peace – Poetry Reading.
Moderator:
Edwina Pendarvis, Marshall University
Jeanne
Bryner, Appalachian Poet; Richard Hague, Appalachian Poet, Purcell
Marian High School, Cincinnati, OH; Ann Smith and Larry Smith, Bottom
Dog Press
This
session will include poetry readings from Appalachian poets along
with a brief discussion of Appalachian authors’ contributions to
the anthology, Come
Together: Imagine Peace.
The discussion will include attention to the issue of whether
Appalachian poetry, as represented in this anthology, offers any
unique or characteristic perspectives on U. S. wars of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Sat.
4 PM. 81. Connecting Appalachia and Children to the Classroom
Curriculum.
Convener:
Becky Nesbitt, Ohio State University South Centers
“The
Inclusion of Children’s Appalachian Literature into the Classroom:
Connecting the Curriculum to a Unique Culture for Improved Learning,”
Alyssa Bach, Northwest Elementary (Scioto County, OH)
Teachers
often struggle for ways to connect their students to curricula that
is both relevant and personalized. Acknowledging and embracing one’s
own unique Appalachian culture can be a first step when incorporating
children’s literature into curricula. Through research citations
and personal interviews, this presentation offers insights and
information helpful in developing a rationale for exploring new
approaches to teaching and learning, particularly approaches that
include children’s literature. Avoiding stereotypes as well as the
pedagogy of poverty will be discussed as they relate to learning.
“Encouraging
Creative Place-Conscious Appalachian Children,” Mary Jo Graham,
Marshall University
Using
young children’s surroundings as the starting point for expression
through art, music, drama, and writing can nurture an appreciation of
the richness of home and community. The presentation will explore
strategies that have been successful for inspiring emergent place
consciousness and appreciation among Appalachian children through the
arts while respecting children’s course of development.
“Artifacts
in the Classroom: Using Encounters with Appalachian Material Culture
to Engage Students,” Christopher Miller, Berea College
This
paper explores how encounters with Appalachian material culture can
be used to engage students and deepen their learning. Artifacts are
rich sources of information about people, events, and ideas. The
presentation examines methods used with the Appalachian Artifacts
Teaching Collection at Berea College. It is based on 15 years’
experience developing and leading classroom encounters. It describes
the method used to develop classroom encounters, several different
types of encounters, and the outcomes observed.
Sat.
4 PM. 82. Mountain-related Traditional and Contemporary Arts and
Crafts: A Carpathian Experience.
Convener:
Chad Berry, Berea College
The
beauty of the Carpathians, various changes of mountain landscapes,
the play of light and shadow, deep precipices, stone and woody
slopes—all cause anxiety of the soul which can result in
imagination development, flight of fancy, etc. Nature creates a
miracle and causes creatively transforming activity of the person.
The mentality of mountaineers is often directed on transformation of
their surroundings, on creation of a new world. The more difficult
the situations and sharper changing conditions, the more folk
creativity, creation of systems of artistic images, and new art
reality are developing. This panel of Ukrainian scholars will share
their research which deals with various aspects and impacts of
traditional and contemporary arts and crafts on education, culture,
tourism, the individual and the region. Comparisons and contrasts can
be associated with the Appalachian region.
“The
Impact of Mountains on the Educational and Cultural Development of
the Residents of the Ukrainian Carpathians,” Inna Chervinska
“Psychology
of Art Creativity (Based on the Folk Art Creativity of Inhabitants of
the Ukrainian Carpathians),” Olena Khrushch
“Mountain
Environment as One of the Conditions of Folk Applied Arts
Development,” Vasyl Khrushch
“Folk
Embroidery as One of Arts and Art Crafts in the Ukrainian
Carpathians,” Liliya Kopchak
“The
Development of ‘Green’ Tourism in the Carpathian Region,”
Andriy Chervinskiy
“Application
of the Traditions and Culture of the Carpathians in the Process of
Teachers’ Linguistic Training,” Maria Oliyar
All
are with the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University,
Ukraine
Sat.
4 PM. 83. Alternative Music Forms in Appalachia.
Convener/Presenter:
Susan Spalding, Berea College
“No
Depression: Mapping Popular Trends in Roots Music,” Ryan Wilson,
Delta College
Since
the success of Oh
Brother, Where Art Thou,
popular culture has embraced bluegrass and roots music while also
continuing to view the Appalachian experience through the
stereotypical nostalgia often found within the songs. Recently new
musical acts have challenged these views, singing songs about the
modern plight of Appalachia resulting in a 15-year movement that both
expands and contracts the conversation about what it means to be
young and from rural communities. This presentation examines the
scope of the movement along with the potential dangers and
opportunities it opens. Music will be played and examined along with
a dissection of nostalgia and opportunism within the music industry.
“Appalachian
HipHop?” Susan Spalding, Berea College
Co-presenters:
Joshua Gampfer, Shekina Huffman, Casey Lambdin, Marcus Leslie – all
Berea College Students
Berea
College students document Hip Hop artists in rural and urban
Appalachian communities, both black and white, and discuss the power
and meaning of Hip Hop for themselves and for other members of the
communities they document. Comparisons are made with other art forms
more typically associated with the Appalachian region such as
clogging and old-time music. The session will include video footage
of performance and interviews, live performance, and discussion.
Sat.
4 PM. 84. Beyond Regionalism: Connecting Appalachia and the World
through Literature.
Convener:
Treva Williams, Ohio State University Extension-Scioto County
“Connecting
Paris, France to Sand Mountain, Alabama: Dennis Covington’s Lost
Generation, William Jolliff, George Fox University
This
critical paper demonstrates the role of Ernest Hemingway’s The
Sun Also Rises as a
subtext for Dennis Covington’s Salvation
on Sand Mountain, then
suggests that the two books’ key thematic difference stems from
Covington’s ability to find hope in his immediate situation—even
in the context of a fragmented and decaying culture. After use with
an American Literature class, the result of the study is a catalog of
unexpected, and at times almost comical, similarities. Finally,
however, the parallels dissolve in a departure that may teach us
something about the character of Appalachian writing.
“Southern
Literature is Alive and Well and Living in New York City: Terry Kay’s
Fiction,” Sylvia Bailey Shurbutt, Shepherd University
In
a superb collection of home-spun essays that afford small glimpses
into the humor and wisdom of Georgia novelist Terry Kay, the author
describes a ramshackle house that was “the model for every
tenant-sharecropper house, every rural setting” he ever wrote
about. What the house cannot tell, Kay conjures through the “alchemy
of art.” It is Kay’s great ability to portray such moments of
cultural change, those moments in time when the traditions of rural
Appalachia connect with the rest of the world, which has won both the
plaudits and the unfailing support of the NY publishing
establishments. Kay’s stories provide an increasingly rootless
American public the sense of time and place that all good Appalachian
literature affords.
“The
Cool of the Day: Wendell Berry as Dramatist,” Anita Turpin, Roanoke
College
In
the 1980s, Actors Theatre of Louisville performed two plays based on
adaptations of the works of Wendell Berry: The
Cool of the Day in
1984 and Digging In in 1987. This paper analyses the two plays from the perspective of
contemporary theater and which locates Berry’s works alongside
other contemporary Appalachian writers such as Jo Carson and Frank X
Walker. All three writers produce works that weave together the
narrative and the lyric in a new form of theater which is designed to
both explore and celebrate cultural traditions and values.
Beyond
Regionalism: Cormac McCarthy, Appalachia and the World --
Co-Presenters: Stephen Spann, “Sutree and the English Romantic
Tradition” and Jeremy Locke, “’Forcing the Unity of Existence’:
Manifest Destiny and Appalachia in McCarthy’s Blood
Meridian – both of
University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
These
papers emphasize specific ways in which Cormac McCarthy moves beyond
the traditional aspects of regionalist writing in an effort to imbue
his fiction with a distinct universality. Spann argues that
McCarthy’s exploration of what William Wordsworth called the “low
and rustic life” connects this Appalachian novel (Sutree)
with the English Romantic tradition. Locke argues that in Blood
Meridian McCarthy
connects Appalachia to the world by moving the kid, the novel’s
protagonist, away from his home in East TN in an attempt to imbue
this novel with a more universal framework as opposed to the strong
regionalism displayed in his earlier work. Their papers will reveal a
new area in McCarthy studies for those scholars interested in
examining trans-regional and trans-Atlantic influences in his early
work.
Sat.
4 PM. 85. Home is Where the Art Is.
Convener/Presenter:
Dana Wildsmith, Lanier Technical College and Grace Farm
Co-Presenters:
Don Boklage, Openground; Dora Ross, Kentucky Cornerstone; Jim Webb,
Wileys Last Resort
This
session consists of four presenters, each of whom are making use of
their homes and land as venues for preserving and displaying
traditional arts, crafts, and music, providing a base for teaching
the same and/or providing studio space and housing for artists and
activities from or within the Appalachian region. Each will tell
about their own home situation using PowerPoint illustrations.
Sat.
4 PM. 86. Film. 40
Years – The West Virginia Highlands Conservancy.
Convener/Presenter:
Bob Gates
In
2007, the WV Highlands Conservancy celebrated its 40 years
anniversary as documented in David Elkinton’s book, Fighting
to Protect the Highlands: The First Forty Years of the West Virginia
Highlands Conservancy. This fast-paced video converses with many of the attendees at the
2007 fall meeting and summarizes the accompany panel discussion of
the challenges, successes and failures throughout the 40 years of the
WVHC. Attendees talk about the founding of the WVHC and the issues
they dealt with. Successes include saving the Canaan Valley from
being turned into a pumped storage reservoir and working on
Monongahela National Forest issues including wilderness designations.
Fighting mountaintop removal coal mining remains an uphill struggle.
5:30
PM ASA Finance Committee Meeting, President’s Conference Room
5:45
PM Registration, Exhibits, and Silent Auction Close. Winning
bidders in the Silent Auction should pick up and pay for their items
immediately following the auction’s close.
DINNER
ON YOUR OWN Check the
Information Table for restaurant suggestions, locations, menus.
6:30
PM ASA Website and Communications Committees Joint Meeting, VRCFA
Conference Room 208
8
PM Enjoy a down-home “Scioto Valley Saturday Night” in the VRCFA
Theater with musicians having local and regional roots—from the
hills of Ohio. Bands include the Poverty String Band with the
Romanellos and Friends; Home Remedy that takes traditional mountain
material and makes something once as old as the hills immediately
contemporary; and the Dr. John Simon Band with Pond Creek favorites.
Concert is open to the public at no charge courtesy of the Anna M.
Daehler Stillwell Fund through the SSU Development Foundation and
ASA.
10
PM Square Dancing with the Dr. John Simon Band, VRCFA Theater Stage
10
– 11 PM Jamming/visiting in lounge areas – Massie Hall 4th floor Appleton Overlook Lounge and Kricker Hall 2nd floor Lounge. Both have vending areas
Sunday,
March 29, 2009
7
AM ASA New Steering Committee Meeting with Breakfast, President’s
Conference Room
Registration,
Exhibit and Book Room Open – 8:30 AM – 11 AM, Rhodes Center
CONCURRENT
SESSION VII, SUN. 8:30 – 9:30 AM
Sun.
8:30 AM. 87. The True Cost of Coal.
Moderator/Presenter:
Emily Bee, Beehive Design Collective, ME
Co- Presenters:
David Bee, Erin Bee, Emma Bee, all of Beehive Design Collective
Usin Using
gigantic portable murals teeming with intricate images of plants and
animals, the Bees will share (and seek) stories of how coal mining
and mountaintop removal affect communities and ecosystems throughout
Appalachia. The Bees use illustrations, stories, and an inspiring,
interactive, and memorable narrative to promote discussion of
pressing issues that affect both people and the environment.
Sun.
8:30 AM. 88. Handwork Contributes to Self-Sufficiency and Identity.
Convener:
Donna A. Gessell, North Georgia State College and University
“Quilters
Reaching Out to the Community,” Kathy Combiths, Virginia Tech
Quilters
in Appalachia have made an impact on the social and economic
development of their communities. The efforts of quilters, both
individually and collectively, have provided income for families and
revenue and material goods for charities. Quilters continue to
contribute to the Appalachian tradition of placing value on the art
and creativity of the craft. This paper is based on primary research
into the current outreach and community involvement of quilt guilds,
church groups, and individuals in Southwest VA. Secondary sources,
primarily the Mountain Artisans of WV, are used to document the value
of quilters and their working together to raise economic standards of
Appalachia.
“Preservation
of Appalachian Identity through Quilting,” Sheila G. Williams,
Marshall University
Appalachian
women have been quilting their whole lives. Many quilts were passed
down to family members or given to people in need. When asking about
a quilt in someone’s home, usually they will first say who made the
quilt and then tell you about the quilt. Through quilting, women
established themselves, gaining an identity. Quilts and their
preservation will help keep their identity from being lost. Sometimes
a quilt is the only thing that keeps our heritage and our identity
from being lost!
Sun.
8:30 AM. 89. The Value of Tradition: Where Do Today’s Youth Fit In?
Moderator:
Serena Frost, Virginia Tech
Co-Presenters:
Kathy Vernet, Scott Moran, Ben McIvor, Emma Kiser, John Langley,
Naomi Dam; all are Virginia Tech Students
All
six students have read Lloyal Jones’ “Appalachian Values” and
have applied it to their life experiences. They will discuss their
essays and answer questions. Life experiences of the students’
essays include: Vernet’s life growing up in Haiti and how coming to
college in Appalachia has changed her perspective on values; Moran
will discuss the effect of the Appalachian ballad on contemporary
music; McIvor will discuss his interpretation of politics and
religion. Kiser will discuss her appreciation of Appalachian folk art
and the values that it imbues; Langley will describe and discuss what
it is like to be a “Hybrid Appalachian;” and Dam will discuss how
her identity has been shaped by the values that were handed down to
her from her parents, both from different Asian cultures and how many
of the values coincide with Appalachian values.
Sun.
8:30 AM. 90. The Place Gives Rise to Spirit: Still, Stuart, Lincoln
Memorial University, and the Hindman Settlement School.
Convener/Presenter:
Silas House, Writer-in-Residence, Lincoln Memorial University; Sylvia
Lynch and Denton Loving, Lincoln Memorial University
The
three authors will discuss authors James Still and Jesse Stuart and
their importance in Appalachian Literature. They will also look at
the way a renaissance of writing is occurring throughout the region,
prodded along by the literary conferences at the Hindman Settlement
School and LMU (the Mountain Heritage Literary Festival). All three
authors present their arguments in lyrical, thoughtful essays.
Sun.
8:30 AM. 91. Developing Youth and Community Leadership.
Convener:
Joette Morris Gates
“HI-Y
Youth Leadership Center: A Program, Not a Place,” David King and
Charlie Myers, HI-Y Leadership Center, WV
The
HI-Y Leadership Center develops young civic leaders with a lifelong
commitment to responsible citizenship. Since 1867, the Y’s hand-on
learning approach continues to enable persons to be positive change
agents in our communities. The programs engage approximately 4,000
youth (including low income and at risk students) annually from more
than 400 different urban, rural and suburban communities throughout
WV and Ohio. Everything is experiential where youth learn by doing.
This presentation will highlight several HI-Y programs and provide
examples of impacts and outcomes.
“Cave
Lake Center for Community Leadership,” John King, Latham OH; David
King and Charlie Myers, both with the HI-Y Leadership Center, WV
This
session presents and invites ideas on the development of Cave Lake’s
700 acres, one of Appalachia’s natural treasures, into a year-round
learning center for youth, families and adults. The OH-WV YMCA is
building on its more than 140 years of work in Ohio’s and WV’s
Appalachian counties to create this nationally significant program to
renew family, organization, and community life. Cave Lake is located
in Pike County, OH, near Latham.
Sun.
8:30 AM. 92. Appalachian Plants and Insects Intersect the Culture and
Economy.
Convener:
Charlie Kearns, Zanesville, OH
“The
Cecropia Moth: An Indigenous Appalachian Silk Producer, Teena
Jennings-Rentenaar, the University of Akron
The
Cecropia moth, commonly referred to as the robin moth, is a familiar
sight in the Appalachian region. This largest native North American
moth has urbanized well. As part of their metamorphic cycle, the
larvae spin large cocoons in which the pupae overwinter before
emerging as adults in the late spring. With proper preparatory steps,
these cocoons yield silk products that studies show is as strong,
fine and lustrous as commercial silk. This research is still at the
developmental stages, yet it is interesting to ponder the effect that
the Cecropia Moth may have on job creation in the Appalachian region.
“Saving
Seeds: Preserving a Sustainable Way of Life,” Judith Stafford,
Morehead State University; Maggie Miles, Local Gardner
The
purpose of this presentation is to share the stories of families in
Eastern KY who garden using self-reliant methods of seed
preservation. These families are helping protect our biodiversity of
seeds for future generations and preserving the self-reliant farming
culture that used to be the norm in Appalachia.
Sun.
8:30 AM. 93. Poetry
Readings.
Convener:
Edwina Pendarvis, Marshall University
“Afterthought
of Light,” Victor Depta, Blair Mountain Press
Although
the subject of aging and death is universal, the presenter
(distinctly Appalachian), sets 30 of the 64 poems in An
Afterthought of Light in the mountains with mountain speakers. Hopefully, the poems help
connect the world at large with Appalachia in the inevitable
infirmities of aging and death which are difficult for most people to
consider and only then in moments of crisis.
“The
Jagermeister (Master of the Hunt),” Eric Linkenhoker, Radford
University
“The
Jagermeister” is a narrative five-part poem based on the
post-Vietnam life of a former Army sniper named Donnie. The poem’s
title comes from the name given him while stationed in Germany. Each
part of the poem paints a picture of how Donnie lived after he
returned to Appalachia from Vietnam. The material realities of
Appalachian life are blended with the effects of time spent in war.
Love for family, hard work, and respect for life and dying are the
major themes of the poem.
“Further
South from Now: Three Poems from the Blue Ridge Escarpment,”
Beverly Cooper, Marshall University
The
presenter will read three poems—“Garnets,” “Blue Valley,”
and “The Leonid Meteor Shower”—which are set in the place where
the corners of NC, SC and GA meet along the Blue Ridge escarpment.
Sun.
8:30 AM. 94. Sustaining Appalachian Communities through Place-Based
Education.
Moderator:
Theresa Burriss, Radford University
Co-Presenters:
Tim Thornton, Zafer Lababidi, Kelsey Lewis, Chelsea Newton;
Co-Authors: Joel Brown, Donia Eley - all Radford University students
Through
literature review, focus groups and individual interviews with
educators and administrators, Radford University graduate and
undergraduate students explore the availability of, the perceived
need for and the effect of Virginia’s Standards of Learning on
place-based education in two Appalachian high schools. The ultimate
aim is to help create a highly educated, culturally aware, and
sensitive workforce.
Sun.
8:30 AM. 95. Appalachian Events Committee: Student Perspectives.
Moderator:
Aysha Bodenhamer, Radford University
Co-Presenters:
Judith Gullion, Jacob Spraker, Shelly Caldwell, T. C. Tavenner,
Heather Littrell, Shai Cullop, Jennifer Nunn, Zetta Nicely – all
Radford University students
This
presentation will showcase Radford University’s Appalachian Events
Committee, a student-led organization which is celebrating its 25th year of supporting and preserving the rich heritage, customs,
folklore and history of Appalachia and its people. AEC strives to
represent the 1/3 of Radford University students whose homes are in
the mountains as well as educate the other 2/3 of students who
decided to attend school in the region. AEC accomplishes its goals by
providing both entertainment and educational opportunities through
three annual events: Appalachian Folk Arts Festival, Appalachian
Awareness Day, and Bluegrass Concerts.
Sun.
8: 30 AM. 96. A Dialog: Exploring the Impact of Rurality on Higher
Education in Appalachia.
Convener:
Gregory Busch, West Virginia University Parkersburg
Co-Presenters:
Mary Beth Busch, West Virginia University Parkersburg; Nicholas
Busch, Graduate Student, Ohio University
The
complexities of rural life continue to have a profound influence on
success of higher education in Appalachia. This session will be a
discussion of the impact of those nuances through the lenses of rural
capitals theory as proposed by rural sociologists, Jan Flora and
Cornelia Butler Flora. Led by a family team of higher education
scholars from rural WV, a dialogue among participants will be
encouraged to facilitate a deeper participation and awareness of the
effects of rurality. The final goal of the session will be the
creation of an informal network of interested persons to continue the
dialogue and sharing of ideas.
9:30
AM Break, Rhodes Center Gym
CONCURRENT
SESSION VIII, SUN. 9:45 – 11 AM
Sun.
9:45 AM. 97. Understanding the Language of Preventive Care.
Convener:
Sharon Denham, Ohio University
“Perceptions
on Cognitive, Disinhibition, and Hunger Factors: From Patients at a
Medical Outreach Center in Appalachia,” Yvonne L. Jones, Ebenezer
Medical Outreach, Huntington, WV; Co-Authors: Howard Gordon,
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Mary Mhango and Katara Sowell,
Marshall University
The
primary purpose of this study was to investigate patients’
awareness of overweight and obesity in their communities. A
convenience sample was used to provide data and the major data
collection instrument was the Eating Inventory. The presentation
will describe the study’s methodology and findings. Data from the
study should be used to inform the development of public health
messages and intervention research to promote physical activity.
“Dental
Health Literacy of Appalachians in the Cincinnati Metropolitan Area,”
Robert L. Ludke, University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center
This
paper examines the dental health literacy of Appalachian parents of
preschool children in the Greater Cincinnati area. Dental caries is
the single most common chronic childhood disease which is 5 times
more common than asthma and 7 times more common than hay fever. To
make appropriate decisions that have a direct impact on the oral
health of their preschoolers, parents must have the capacity to
obtain, process, and understand basic oral health information and
services needed. This presentation also describes the assessment
instrument developed by the author.
“Media
Use, Health Beliefs, and Cancer Screening Practices in an Appalachian
Community Sample,” Jennette Lovejoy and Travis Lovejoy, Ohio
University
In
the U. S., cancer disproportionately affects residents of Appalachia.
This presentation describes a research study that considered that
these disparities may be due to high rates of advanced-stage cancer
at initial diagnosis due to non-engagement in preventive activities
such as recommended cancer screening. The research methodology will
be described as well as sharing the results and findings. The
researchers concluded that public health interventions should target
older adults and younger women and that internet technology may be a
viable mechanism for the diffusion of health campaigns.
Sun.
9:45 AM. 98. Connecting Appalachia and the World.
Convener:
Lee Knisely Sanders, Miami University-Hamilton
“The
Impact of the Appalachian Culture on the Lives of Asian Indian
Immigrants Living in North America,” Amit Kshirsagar, Freelance
Writer, Ann Arbor, MI
The
presenter will offer a brief account of the influence that the
culture of rural Appalachia (KY, TN, and WV) has had on the lives of
Asian Indian immigrants living in North America since the passage of
the Immigration Act of 1965. Even though there are very few Asian
Indians living in rural Appalachia as most are highly educated
doctors, lawyers and engineers mainly residing in university towns,
the cultural impact in terms of language, dress, and social customs
and behavior is most inherent in that of their children, the second
generation Asian Indian youth.
“Living
on the Historical Margins: The Communal Response of Polish Catholics
at Wheeling’s St. Ladislaus Church, 1895-1935,” William Gorby,
West Virginia University
This
paper examines the Polish immigration to Wheeling, WV from 1890-1935.
It focuses on how these Poles balanced their work and religious lives
around the Polish nationalist influences from St. Ladislaus Parish
and its founder Fr. Emit Musial for better understanding the
diversity of life experiences within the Appalachian region.
Assisting in the economic development of the Southside, the Poles
effectively reached out to the broader community during the 1920s.
Because of Fr. Musial’s strong nationalistic ethos and his
understanding of Catholic social teaching, he exerted much influence
in the local Catholic community in addressing the needs of those
neglected by the excesses of industrial capitalism.
“Harmon
or Herrman? A Re-examination of the Influence of German on Southern
Mountain Speech,” Anita Puckett, Virginia Tech
This
presentation re-examines the influence of German on the emergence of
southern mountain speech approximately 1750-1845. Critiquing
Montgomery’s claim that language variation during this period was
primarily through variation in English speech varieties, it argues
that ethnohistorical and historical evidence indicate a strong
presence of German speakers throughout contemporary Southwest VA,
Southwest WV, Eastern KY, Eastern TN, and Northwestern NC who
regularly interacted in social, political, and economic contexts
where English was expected. Processes by which these speakers both
kept and then lost their use of German as a first language are
examined from a language-in-culture perspective.
“Latino
Migration, Loose Spaces, and the Sense of Place in Appalachia,” Dan
Margolies, Virginia Wesleyan College
The
presenter shares research in the Blue Ridge of NC and VA that
explores the visuals of the Latino transformation of loose social
spaces in Appalachia and the emergence of a new cultural geography in
the area brought by globalization. The presentation demonstrates how,
where, and in what significant ways Latino migration has transformed
or shaped the social, cultural, and visual spaces in Appalachia. It
explores what these new developments mean for gauging and
understanding a sense of place in the region. Understanding migration
to Appalachia must ultimately be founded on capturing human stories.
Sun.
9:45 AM. 99. Training for K – 12 Teachers: Appalachian and
Ulster-Scot Roots.
Moderator:
Tim Thomas, James Madison University
Co-Presenters:
Grace Toney Edwards, Appalachian Regional Studies Center, Radford
University; Julie Alexander, Carroll County, VA Public Schools; Donna
Ogle, Roanoke County, VA Public Schools
An
initiative in Southwest VA seems to encourage classroom teachers to
raise student community pride and global awareness and to improve
students’ academic performance. Participants in this presentation
will learn about efforts aimed at producing standards-based
educational materials that present Appalachian music, folklore, and
history alongside these elements in the Ulster-Scot tradition. These
materials in K-12 classrooms will provide students with information
about their region and a deeper sense of cultural identity. The
presentation will include a response from VA teachers about the
potential of this project for their classrooms.
Sun.
9:45 AM. 100. Art
As Resistance within the Mountain Justice Movement.
Convener:
Matt Landon, United Mountain Defense
Co-Presenters:
Jim Kane, Stencil Artist; Francesco di Santis, Portrait Story
Project; Beehive Design Collective; Here’s to the Long Haul Band;
League of Shadow Players
Presenters
will describe how their art has been shaped and is shaping the face
of the Mountain Justice Movement. The Mountain Justice Movement is
dedicated to the abolition of mountaintop removal coal mining and the
rebuilding of a safer and more prosperous local Appalachian economy.
The workshop will include hands-on involvement from conference
attendees.
Sun.
9:45 AM. 101. Documentary—Indian
Head Rock.
Convener/Presenter:
Morgan “Katie” Wheeler, Ohio University; Co-Presenter: Peggy
“Chrise” Wheeler, Director
Indian
Head Rock is a
documentary about the discovery of an eight-ton boulder that has
historical markings across its surface, dating back to the 1800s. The
most famous marking is a large face, thus its name, centered at the
top of the boulder. It was discovered hiding in the depths of the
Ohio River in September 2007. This rock has sparked controversy
between Ohio and Kentucky and has had local and national attention.
Sun.
9:45 AM. 102. Making Appalachia Connections through Literature.
Convener:
Susan Spalding, Berea College
“A
Loa in these Hills: Voudou and the Ineffable in Lee Smith’s On
Agate Hill,” Monica
Miller, University of Tennessee-Knoxville
Though
often stereotyped as homogenous, Southern Appalachia is in reality a
diverse region where myriad cultural and spiritual traditions
intersect. By setting her novel, On
Agate Hill, primarily
in the mountains of Western NC, Lee Smith explores this cultural
hybridity. This paper examines how the traditional Appalachian music
and dance in the novel create a liminal framework from which the
magical emerges—to show that the region’s traditional arts (they
themselves the result of hybrid cultural heritages in Appalachia)
combine to create what can be read metaphorically as a voudou
ceremony at the house party on Red Hill. By examining this scene as a
form of voudou possession, the presenter will show how the artistic
expression of such a culturally hybrid community creates an ideal
location for the appearance of the ineffable.
“Transformed
by Grief: Analyzing Gender Constructs in Fair
and Tender Ladies,”
Heather McIntyre, Bowling Green State University
This
presentation focuses on Ivy Rowe in Lee Smith’s Fair
and Tender Ladies in
order to gain a better understanding of how gender roles are
negotiated in Appalachian fiction. Specifically, the presenter will
be demonstrating how Ivy utilizes correspondence to transition from a
Hegelian understanding of her society’s categorical imperatives to
a more “Bulterian” understanding of gender performance and
sexuality.
“Moonlit
Paths: Making the Connection between the Moonlight School Model and
Literacy in Appalachian Fiction,” Erica Abrams Locklear, University
of North Carolina at Asheville
This
presentation explores Moonlight School programs designed to promote
adult literacy education, giving special focus to a program
established in Western NC in the 1920s. In particular, the
presentation will investigate how the pedagogical approaches used in
the program, and in others like it, affect contemporary definitions
of literacy, especially when discussing literacy in Appalachian
fiction.
Sun.
9:45 AM. 103. Educational Frameworks, School and Community.
Convener:
Pamela Twiss, California University of Pennsylvania
“I
Have to Help My School Because It Helped Me: The Enculturation of
Participation in Community-School Partnerships,” Kristin
Kant-Byers, University of Kentucky
Using
research conducted in two Appalachian school systems by education
researchers from the University of Kentucky, this paper addresses the
influence that place, culture and community have on individuals’
perceptions of and experiences with education partnerships.
Additionally, this paper examines the influence that education
partnerships have in shaping identity, community spirit, and
perceptions of success within community members.
“Hillbillies,
Handcraft, and Hand Looms: Weaving Community on a Four Harness Loom,”
Penne Lane, Gainesville State College and Dalton State College
There
are a great many similarities between the Southern Appalachian
Mountains and the Carpathian Mountains of Western Ukraine,
particularly in their material culture and handcraft traditions. This
paper explores the intersections of social and economic justice,
following the educational framework of Myles Horton and Paulo Freire,
set in the context of consumer education, marketing strategies, and
regional policy advocacy for the arts. The metaphor of an Appalachian
four harness loom is used to examine the contemporary and historical
handcraft of a country that experienced the Kustar handcraft revival
designed, much like the Appalachian craft revival of the 1930s (and
1970s) to bring about economic transition to the region.
Sun.
9:45 AM. 104. Methods and Results from Appalachia Research,
Assessment, and Analysis.
Convener:
Kevin Barksdale, Marshall University
“Assessing
Fatalism and Its Impact on Change in Rural Communities,” Margaret
Christopher, California University of Pennsylvania
A
number of social scientists and human service providers have used the
term “fatalism” when discussing the worldview of individuals and
families from rural and small town communities. What does this term
really mean and how is fatalism assessed? This presentation will
demonstrate methods that human service providers and community
organizers can use to assess fatalism among individuals, families,
organizations, groups, and communities. It will also examine the
impact of fatalism on change.
“Doing
Social Science as if People Mattered: An Appalachian Case Study,”
George Davis and Wendy Williams, Marshall University
In
recent decades, social science has turned away from normative
scholarship toward a more objective, scientific approach to the study
of social phenomena. Although this approach provides significant
insights, it also limits the issues social scientists are willing to
investigate. This paper uses a study of the working poor in
Huntington, WV to argue for methodological pluralism in social
science. Such a pluralistic approach is warranted, the presenters
argue, if social science is to remain relevant to the study of
Appalachia.
“Appalachia
and the Theory and Method of Empire,” Barbara Kunkle, Shawnee State
University
Contemporary
literary and cultural theory offer useful tools for understanding how
and why Appalachia came to be, and that poststructuralist and
postcolonial theories do not necessarily deconstruct Appalachia out
of existence, but rather complement material-based analyses in
fruitful ways. In an attempt to demonstrate a sort of confluence
between poststructuralist analysis and materialist analysis, the
presenter turns to paradigmatic texts representative of this analytic
stream—John Fox, Jr. and Harry Caudill. Through close reading of
their works, Appalachia is largely an artifact of the discourses and
the actions of people of that era.
11
AM Registration and Exhibits and Book Room Close
11:05
AM Farewell Brunch; Music by Kendra Ward and Bob Bence, Traditional
Appalachian Music with Dulcimers; Door Prizes; Invitation to the 2010
Conference in Georgia; and Closing
12:20
PM Safe Journey Home. See you in Georgia in 2010!
JOURNAL
OF APPALACHIAN STUDIES SUBMISSIONS
You
are encouraged to submit your paper to the Journal
of Appalachian Studies. Bring
a copy of your paper to the registration table during the conference.
Be sure your name, address, e-mail address, and telephone number are
attached. If you do not have a clean paper copy to submit, please
postal mail two hardcopies of your paper and a 200 word abstract to: Journal of Appalachian
Studies, c/o
Appalachian Studies Association, One John Marshall Drive, Huntington
WV 25755. E-mail attachments will be accepted. Send to
asa@marshall.edu. Please follow the manuscript instructions published
in the Journal.
Deadline for post-conference submission is April 30, 2009.
Conveners/Moderators
of panels may submit papers from the panel. Bring to the registration
table with a note indicating that you are submitting the papers on
behalf of an entire panel. Please include names, addresses, e-mail
addresses, and telephone numbers of all panelists.
