By Mark Rutledge | The majestic peaks, deep valleys, and peaceful blue haze of Western North Carolina are home to a network of faith-based mountain retreats and conference centers established during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Most of the complexes experienced damage to their historic facilities when Hurricane Helene dumped record-breaking and catastrophic amounts of rain on the region on Sept. 27, 2024 ...

By Ted Olson  | In the aftermath of the September 2024 flooding caused by Hurricane Helene, one thing was clear: Ashevillians, whether natives, longtime residents, or recent arrivals, collectively praised their city’s stunning mountain landscape and rich cultural legacy, including a distinctive music heritage. A year after Helene, officials representing the City of Asheville alongside a small team of music scholars and promoters collaborated on telling a story heretofore unto

By Miriam McEwen | This is a flash fiction piece, a first for Appalachian Places. Flash fiction is characterized by its short word count — usually under 1,000 words — but still offers plot and character development. The writer describes this piece as “dealing in themes of religious trauma, rural isolation, and ableism common to the Blue Ridge.”

By Lacy Snapp | Every October, poets from around the Tri-Cities region of East Tennessee gather on one of the first cool nights of fall to celebrate community, creativity, and craft beer. For the past five years, Atlantic Ale House, a tap room in downtown Johnson City with mostly outdoor-patio seating, has hosted the opening-ceremony toast of the Johnson City Poets Collective’s annual Poetry Contest and Pub Crawl ...

By Joseph R. Goodall | Joseph R. Goodall is a writer and civil engineer whose fiction, essays, and poetry explore the intersection of human communities and natural landscapes. His short story collection, What the Bird Sees in Flight, examines the unraveling and reunion of a strong-willed farming family. Born in New Zealand and now based in Atlanta, he draws inspiration from watersheds, local history and a diverse range of storytellers. His work has appeared in publications su

By Savannah Bennett | When I was growing up, road trips were riddled with talismans and traditions. Lengthy excursions were marked by unique houses, roadside attractions, and stories my family repeated from memory. These geographic markers turned monotonous car rides into scavenger hunts. My sister and I would compete to see who noticed things the fastest, or who could tell the old stories the best. Many of the roadside messages associated with these memories were scattered a

By Sandra Laws | In 2005, author, food writer, radio host and associate professor of Appalachian Studies Fred Sauceman created and taught the Appalachian Foodways course at East Tennessee State University. He considers the course a natural fit for academic studies of Appalachia or any other part of the world ...

When I wrote my first letter from the editor to you in January, I spoke of spring’s upcoming arrival, and the ever lengthening of light. It’s fitting that for this final installment for 2025, we’re falling instead into shortening days as our pocket of Appalachia becomes cloaked with the enchanting, fiery colors of fall, but the ever loss of sunshine and heat ...

Poetry by Doug Van Gundy, Amy Le Ann Richardson, Susanna Skelton, Evelyn Bales, and Matthew Gilbert