Take me home, country roads.
If you’re referring to the song, that means West Virginia, and, by extension, Appalachia.
However, if you’re referring to Appalachia, you’re really talking about a region taking in much more than the 35th state in the Union.
WVU on Thursday is hosting an event that runs the width and breadth – geographically and socially – of the ancient mountain range threading from North Georgia to New York state.
This is the 45th edition of the Appalachian Studies Conference, and the first time in 25 years it’s taking place on the grounds of the state’s flagship university in Morgantown.
“Making, Creating and Encoding: Crafting Possibilities in Appalachia,” is the theme of the gathering hosted by WVU.
There’s an artistic side, of course, said WVU’s Travis Stimeling, who is one of the conference’s chief organizers.
Just don’t look for things to end up at the end of the same old country road and the end of the same old hollow, he said.
“Here we’ll have a mix of folks who code, as well do old-school arts and crafts,” Stimeling said.
Stimeling knows how to hop creative creek beds. He’s a musician and a professor of musicology who serves as director of WVU’s Bluegrass and Old-Time Bands divisions. He’s also the author of several books and articles, scholarly and otherwise.
“Nashville Cats: Record Production in Music City,” is the title of one of his books, which details the sonic particulars and board room dealings in the Tennessee town now synonymous with country music.
Discussions and woodshedding on topics from public health to public policy will also ensue, he said, all woven from the signature quilt of the conference.
“Historically, the conference is where activists, scholars and creative people get together to share interesting things they’ve done and vibe off each other’s work,” the professor said.
“We’ve look at problems and we’ll look at solutions,” he said. “What might work in north-central West Virginia might also work in eastern Kentucky.”
Presenters include Kirk Hazen, the WVU linguist who regularly studies how dialects shape personal impressions; and Ashton Marra, the WVU journalism professor and former public radio reporter who is executive director of the 100 Days in Appalachia social media project.
Keynote speaker will be author Deesha Philyaw, whose critically acclaimed debut short story collection, “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies,” is being turned into a series on HBO Max. WVU Press published her book.
Visit https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/media-center-blog/2022/03/14/expert-pitch-wvu-experts-available-to-discuss-all-things-appalachia for more information on the presenters.
The conference runs through Sunday.
“This is a very eclectic event,” Stimeling said.
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