Dixie’s Top 10 Endangered Places

Posted in Coal, Outdoors & Travel on March 28th, 2010 by marklynn
Wilderness is a privilege, not a right. If you ever doubt it, look at Southern Environmental Law Center’s (SELC) 2010 list of Top Ten Endangered Places. From whale calving grounds off Georgia’s coast to coal decimated tracts in the Appalachians, the South’s most pristine places are under threat. Coal damage is, of course, legendary. SELC named one specific affected area, Alabama’s Black Warrior River, but it also include Read More »


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Literary Geekery from the NC

Posted in Art & Lit on March 24th, 2010 by marklynn
Unleash you inner bookworm with this interactive Literary Map of North Carolina. Right off, I browsed the mountain section, and discovered that O. Henry’s real name wasn’t Oliver Henry; both were just pseudonyms. He was actually born William Sydney Porter in Greensboro, which coincidentally is where I went to college. See, following the lives of literary figures can be fun! Read More »


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Beverly Hillbillies and Dire Strait

Posted in Music on March 21st, 2010 by marklynn
Beverly Hillbillies and Dire Strait
The Revivalist hit 150 Facebook fans this week! To celebrate, I found a real treat. It’s the love child of The Beverly Hillbillies and Dire Straits with Weird Al serving as midwife. Prepare to be wowed. And if you’re not already a Facebook fan, click on over. It’s the easiest way to stay updated on all that’s happening in the Appalachian South. Read More »


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Mountain Music Sampler

Posted in Music on March 17th, 2010 by marklynn
Can’t get enough of that mountain music? Check out Songs of Appalachia from the Knoxville News Sentinel. It’s a video sampler of styles, ranging from shape note singing to songs in Cherokee. My personal favorite is fiddling from the McCarrolls Read More »


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A Park Ranger’s Life

Posted in Art & Lit, Outdoors & Travel on March 14th, 2010 by Mark Lynn Ferguson
A Park Ranger’s Life
Everyone has a dream job. For most people, it involves paparazzi flashes, fantastic wealth, or maybe gunplay. Not for my friend Nora and me. Five days a week, we share an extra-large cube that we affectionately call the doublewide. In it, we toss out Southernisms (a new favorite — madder than a bobcat caught in a piss fire) and stream twangy tunes on Bluegrass Country. It’s a hoot as cubes go, but we’d rather be fighting fore Read More »


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Farmers’ Markets Abound

Posted in Food on March 11th, 2010 by marklynn
Farmers’ Markets Abound
The thaw is on! In my neck of the woods, I’m seeing cherry blossom buds, crocuses, and exposed legs so bright they could guide airplanes in for landing. It’s blinding but a joy, and it has me anticipating another spring tradition, the return of local produce. Farm stands and farmers’ markets will open soon. Right away, that means jarred honey and fresh baked bread. Read More »


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Four Working Tires and a Full Tank

Posted in History & Culture on March 7th, 2010 by marklynn
Four Working Tires and a Full Tank
Beth Macy is one of Roanoke’s most notable reporters. She is in Cambridge, Mass. right now on a fellowship at Harvard. In a recent blog post, she compared the high schools her son has attended in these two notably different cities: “Students at Cambridge Rindge and Latin may leave campus to eat at nearby restaurants (sorry to say, it’s my teenager’s favorite thing about school this year). Read More »


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Crooked Road: Breaking Records, Facing Ruin

Posted in History & Culture, Music on March 5th, 2010 by marklynn
Crooked Road: Breaking Records, Facing Ruin
The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail lives up to its name. In February, it became the first place to to be named as a Distinctive Destination by the National Trust for Historic Preservation that wasn’t a singular place. All other honorees are one municipality, but The Crooked Road is a series of them, 19 towns that exemplify the old time and bluegrass tradition of the state. Read More »


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