Plum Pitiful Bluegrass

Posted in Music on November 27th, 2011 by marklynn
Plum Pitiful Bluegrass
If you’ve not been listening to bluegrass on The Ray Davis Show, then you’ve not been listening to plum pitiful bluegrass. This old timer plays some of the saddest songs around. Dead mammas, prison terms, train wrecks–no tragedy is off limits during his three hour block, which airs Sundays at 10 am ET and Monday through Friday at 3 pm ET on WAMU’s Bluegrass Country. While Davis has a penchant for sorry songs, his line up Read More »


Tags: , ,
1 Comment »

I’m a Lucky F’eller

Posted in History & Culture on November 24th, 2011 by marklynn
I’m a Lucky F’eller
Before I start all of the chopping, blending and baking today, I’m taking a few minutes to reflect. I’m thankful for so much. The people who are closest to me are in good health; I have a loving, close knit family; I’ve got work and insurance and a car that runs; and to top it off, I get to exchange ideas with you all every week of the year. I’m a lucky f’eller. Whether you’re spending Thanksgiving in the quie Read More »


Tags:
Leave A Comment »

The Crooked Road to Improving Local Economies

Posted in History & Culture, Music on November 21st, 2011 by marklynn
The Crooked Road to Improving Local Economies
Sonja Ingram, Guest Blogger You might remember The Crooked Road. It’s a unique driving trail that winds through Southwest Virginia. Each of its nineteen stops represent Appalachia’s musical heritage. When I wrote about it back in March of 2010, it was facing the axe in state budgets. Luckily, it’s still going strong and remains an economic engine. It is estimated to bring $28 million dollars into the region annually. Our frien Read More »


Tags: ,
Leave A Comment »

Gingerbread Art: View It When You’re Full

Posted in Art & Lit, Food, History & Culture on November 13th, 2011 by marklynn
Gingerbread Art: View It When You’re Full
I am hopelessly behind. I’m just now figuring out what I’ll be cooking for Thanksgiving, and already gingerbread-themed, Christmas time events are popping up all over the region. While they’re starting on the early side for my taste, they all sound delicious. Houses in every shape and size, some complete with little streets, and even entire villages are being constructed of gingerbread rectangles and gum drops and candy canes a Read More »


Tags: , , ,
1 Comment »

Ron Rash is Burning Bright

Posted in Art & Lit on November 6th, 2011 by marklynn
Ron Rash is Burning Bright
I don’t post about books that I’ve not finished. That’s largely because I’d hate to talk up a book only to find that it tanks after the first one hundred pages. I’m on page seventy-five of Burning Bright, and I can’t hold back any longer. I’m about to burst over Ron Rash’s collection of North Carolina stories. The first three of them, the ones that I have read, are set in a dim Appalachia, where lig Read More »


Tags: ,
Leave A Comment »