In the last half of the 20th century, Moon Pie went from humble beginnings to cultural icon. There are snacks, and then there’s the Moon Pie. It’s the kind of …

Southern Appalachian dialects are rooted in Gaelic. I’m not a hillbilly, but I can sure sound like one when I want to. I grew up around Washington, DC, in a fa…

Old Christmas celebrations continue for twelve days. Christmas Eve by Joseph Hoover and Sons, public domain In the heart of Appalachia, when winter settles dee…

Execution of Champ Ferguson at Nashville, Tennessee, October 20, 1865. During the Civil War, the lines between soldier and outlaw blurred in the mountains o…

The Allen Gang. Wesley Edwards, Maude Iroler’s sweetheart, at bottom left. There’s little difference between the raging hormones of teen romance and the fra…

Legend says that the spirit of Cherokee woman Running Deer inhabits the body of the Wampus Cat. It’s a cold, foggy night in the Appalachian mountains, where …