Stories of Place in a Changing Appalachia

Stories about Appalachia have little to do with the stories that Appalachians tell one another, or the stories that go untold but that nevertheless shape their experiences of the landscapes that surround them. Many Appalachian landscapes are scarred by coal extraction but patches of healthy forests and streams illustrate how this scarring does not define the region. The memories and experiences that link so many Appalachians to the landscape can be an important resource in planning for a just transition away from extraction and towards an equitable and sustainable future. After over a century of extraction, Central Appalachia faces acute economic and environmental distress only heightened by coal’s decline. Yet, there is incredible energy in the region as recognition widens that planning for a just transition must embrace creative approaches to the future and honor Appalachians’ past. Folklore and literature are ever present in the daily lives of Appalachians. However, their stories often represent subjugated knowledges dismissed by planners with an economistic view of what Appalachia needs. Appalachians are claiming a greater say in transition planning—and we believe that the humanities can and should support their visions for the future. This project offers a model of how the humanities can promote a just transition in Appalachia. I will partner with the Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network (LiKEN) to gather Stories of Place, working with communities to document the places, land forms, springs, and other resources meaningful to them. We mobilize folklore studies to reflect on the relationships with places that many Appalachians take for granted, or may have forgotten. These relationships are jarred into consciousness when they are shaken—by mountaintop removal, chemical spills, or the enclosure of forestland used previously as a commons. We will curate these stories of place to: 1) engage communities in collaborative discovery, mapping, and retelling of these stories of place to valorize them; and 2) spark public dialogue about different ways of knowing and managing landscapes. Specifically, we will work with the storytellers to encourage their involvement in planning processes affecting them. This fellowship will allow me to collaboratively explore how to acknowledge people’s experiences with the land so that their stories are heard not just at final approval stage—when a project is already a fait accompli—but in the conception and planning.