I’ve lived in Appalachia for over 20 years. As the fall season begins, I’d like to share some pictures, descriptions, and most importantly, the correct way to pronounce the name for this special part of the United States.
The Appalachian Region
According to the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Appalachian region follows the Appalachian Mountains over 13 states. It extends from southern New York state down to northern Mississippi. I live smack in the middle of that range, in southwest Virginia, close to the borders of West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina. My county hovers right on the tip of the area the ARC describes as “economically distressed.”
While I realize the official designation of “Appalachia” covers 13 states, I think of Appalachian culture as centered closest to me, in this intersection of KY, NC, TN, and VA, where coal mines once prospered and the mountains add beauty and texture to the region.
What you should know about Appalachia
Appalachia gets a lot of negative press. People from the region are often characterized as simple, poor, and backwards. Jokes about inter-family marriage and mingling abound. Unfortunately, poverty runs rampant, evident in dilapidated trailer homes and crumbling clapboard houses tucked inside mountain hollows. (Or, “hollers,” as they say around here. At a recent school board meeting, the assistant superintendent noted that based on data from the 2021 Census, the number of economically disadvantaged students in Wythe County jumped from 55% to 87%. All school lunches are free here, because the number of kids who qualify is so high. I see a lot of need, every day.
Reading Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver, and Dopesick, by Beth Macy, gave me better appreciation for the challenges of the Appalachian region. It has been plagued by prejudice and lack of support services for decades. Drug abuse, poor access to health and dental care, and limited education burden the area.
But don’t let the depressing themes of Dopesick fool you. There are plenty of good things going on in Appalachia. Every year, during every season, the natural beauty never fails to amaze. I live between the Appalachian and the Blue Ridge Mountains, and I try my best to capture the blazing fall display of leaves in photographs, but they are never as impressive as the real thing. Perhaps that’s because the pictures don’t include the scent of burning word, or the crackle of crisp leaves underfoot, or the brisk touch of the air.
People matter here in my corner of Appalachia. When someone is sick, when a home catches fire, the community rallies in a way I never experienced in suburbia. If you walk around town, you can expect the people you pass to wave or say hello, even if you don’t know them. The pace of life hear runs dramatically slower than in the city. And sometimes that’s nice. Come September, local farms prepare for harvest festivals, while church congregations gather for entire Saturdays to make apple butter, apple sauce, and apple cider.
People love the land, and they spend lots of time outdoors, gardening, farming, hunting, and fishing. On the first official day of hunting season, half of the kids are absent from the high schools and middle schools. They are out with their families, hunting deer.
Music carries special importance here, and The Crooked Road Music Trail celebrates the rich music tradition in the southwest Virginia mountains. Appalachian music mixes old time string bands, a capella gospel, blues, ballads, and bluegrass.
Last weekend, our newly renovated theater, The Millwald, on Main Street, hosted a celebration of Appalachian Culture with the first Apple Atcha Fest. The three day event featured writers, musicians, and artisans from the Appalachian region. Author Silas House met with local high school juniors to discuss writing. Story teller Bill Lepp entertained elementary school students with his humor.
How to pronounce Appalachia
And so we get to perhaps the most important part of this post. How to properly, like a native Appalachian, say “Appalachia.” The branding of the Apple Atcha Fest made it very clear:
Don’t forget ‘If you’re missay’n Appalachia, we’ll throw an Apple Atcha!
So, now you know. Think APPLE and ATCHA.
What can you add about Appalachia? Have you ever visited or lived here?
Thanks for getting nerdy with me!
The correct pronunciation has also been often noted by author Sharyn McCrumb, who lives in and writes about the region.