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"Now, Appalachia"

"Now, Appalachia"

By Eliot Parker

Welcome to Now Appalachia Radio with host and thriller author Eliot Parker. The show will profile Appalachian writers and creative people.

Proud to be part of the August on the Air Global Radio Network.
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Currently playing episode

Now, Appalachia interview with literary agent Alice Speilburg

"Now, Appalachia"May 04, 2021

00:00
39:15
Now, Appalachia Interview with author John Copenhaver

Now, Appalachia Interview with author John Copenhaver

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author John Copenhaver about his latest novel HALL OF MIRRORS. won the 2019 Macavity Award for Best First Mystery for Dodging and Burning and the 2021 Lambda Literary Award for Best Mystery for The Savage Kind. He is a co-founder of Queer Crime Writers and an at-large board member of Mystery Writers of America. He cohosts on the House of Mystery Radio Show. He’s a faculty mentor in the University of Nebraska’s Low-Residency MFA program and teaches at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Mar 27, 202438:42
Now, Appalachia Interview with author Karen Spears Zacharias

Now, Appalachia Interview with author Karen Spears Zacharias

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Karen Spears Zacharias about her new novel NO PERFECT MOTHERS. Karen Spears Zacharias is an American writer whose work focuses on women and justice. She holds an MA in Appalachian Studies from Shepherd University and an MA in Creative Media Practice from the University of West Scotland. She lives at the foot of the Cascade Mountains in Deschutes County, Oregon. Zacharias taught First-Amendment Rights at Central Washington University and continues to teach at writing workshops around the country.

Mar 12, 202439:07
Author R.G. Yoho on Now, Appalachia

Author R.G. Yoho on Now, Appalachia

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews western author R.G. Yoho about his latest western BITTER WATER. R.G. Yoho is a West Virginia native with a passion for history and tales of the American West. Raised on a cattle farm, he is the prolific author of multiple Western novels, along with works of fiction and nonfiction. Yoho is a former president of the West Virginia Writers. Living with his wife near the banks of the Ohio River, Yoho is also a proud member of the Western Writers of America.

Nov 29, 202328:03
Now, Appalachia Interview with author Carter Taylor Seaton

Now, Appalachia Interview with author Carter Taylor Seaton

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Carter Taylor Seaton about her latest novel GUILT. Carter Taylor Seaton is the author of three novels: Father's Troubles (Mid-Atlantic Highlands Pub, 2022); amo, amas, amat.an unconventional love story (CreateSpace Independent, 2011); and The Other Morgans (Koehler Books, 2020), as well as numerous magazine articles, and several essays and short stories. Her non-fiction works include Hippie Homesteaders (West Virginia University Press, 2014), The Rebel in the Red Jeep (West Virginia University Press, 2017), Me and Mary Ann (2018), and We Were Legends In Our Own Minds (Mountain State Press, Inc., 2020).

Nov 14, 202331:46
Author Chris McGinley on Now, Appalachia

Author Chris McGinley on Now, Appalachia

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Chris McGinley about his new novel ONCE THESE HILLS. Chris lives in Lexington, Kentucky where he writes crime fiction set in the hills of Appalachia and teaches middle school social studies and English. His story "Hellbenders" made the "Other Distinguished Stories of 2018" list in BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES of 2019. His work has appeared in Mystery Tribune, Mystery Weekly, Tough, Pulp Modern, Switchblade, and on other sites and outlets. COAL BLACK (Shotgun Honey Books) is his first collection. 

Oct 10, 202335:35
Now, Appalachia Interview with author Susan Zurenda

Now, Appalachia Interview with author Susan Zurenda

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Susan Zurenda about her second novel THE GIRL FROM THE RED ROSE MOTEL. Susan taught English for thirty-three years to college and high school students. Her debut novel, BELLS FOR ELI, has received several awards including first place for Best First Book--Fiction in the 2021 Independent Publisher Book Awards. Zurenda has also published and won numerous awards for her short fiction. A life-long South Carolinian, she lives in Spartanburg.

Sep 13, 202330:58
Now, Appalachia Interview with author David Joy

Now, Appalachia Interview with author David Joy

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, David Joy returns to the program to discuss his latest novel THOSE WE THOUGHT WE KNEW. David is the author of When These Mountains Burn (winner of the 2020 Dashiell Hammett Award), The Line That Held Us (winner of the 2018 SIBA Book Prize), The Weight of This World, and Where All Light Tends to Go (Edgar finalist for Best First Novel). Joy lives in Tuckasegee, North Carolina.

Sep 05, 202340:47
Now, Appalachia interview with author Kelly Ford

Now, Appalachia interview with author Kelly Ford

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Kelly Ford about her latest thriller THE HUNT. Kelly Ford is the author of Real Bad Things and the award-winning Cottonmouths, a novel of “impressive depths of character and setting” according to the Los Angeles Review, which named it one of its Best Books of 2017. An Arkansas native, Kelly writes crime fiction set in the Ozarks and the Arkansas River Valley.

Aug 29, 202335:52
Now, Appalachia Interview with author Meagan Lucas

Now, Appalachia Interview with author Meagan Lucas

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot welcomes back author Meagan Lucas to talk about her new short story collection HERE IN THE DARK. Meagan Lucas is the author of the award-winning novel, Songbirds and Stray Dogs (2019) and the forthcoming collection, Here in the Dark (Shotgun Honey, July 2023). Meagan’s short work can be found in places like Santa Fe Writers’ Project, Still: The Journal, Bull Magazine, Change Seven, and Pithead Chapel. Meagan is Pushcart, Best of the Net, Derringer, and Canadian Crime Writers’ Award of Excellence nominated, won the 2017 Scythe Prize for Fiction, and Songbirds and Stray Dogs was North Carolina’s selection for the Library of Congress Center for the Book’s 2022 Route 1 Reads program. She teaches Creative Writing at Robert Morris University and is the Editor-in-Chief of Reckon Review. Born and raised on a small island in Northern Ontario, she now calls the mountains of Western North Carolina home.

Aug 15, 202334:37
Now, Appalachia interview with author M. Hendrix

Now, Appalachia interview with author M. Hendrix

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author M. Hendrix about her young adult debut novel THE CHAPERONE. M Hendrix is the author of two previous books. She lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with her husband, novelist David Bell. The Chaperone is her YA debut.

Aug 08, 202330:27
Now, Appalachia Interview with author Jim Minick

Now, Appalachia Interview with author Jim Minick

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Jim Minick about his latest non-fiction work: WITHOUT WARNING: THE TORNADO OF UDALL, KANSAS. Jim is the author or editor of seven books, including the award-winning Fire Is Your Water and The Blueberry Years: A Memoir of Farm and Family. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including the New York Times, Poets and Writers, Oxford American, Orion, and Shenandoah.

Jul 11, 202333:08
Now, Appalachia Interview with poet Susan O'Dell Underwood

Now, Appalachia Interview with poet Susan O'Dell Underwood

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews poet Susan O'Dell Underwood about her latest collection titled SPLINTER. Susan O'Dell Underwood is a native of East Tennessee, where she has lived most of her life. She's the director of creative writing at Carson-Newman University. She has published one earlier collection, The Book of Awe (Iris Press, 2018), a novel, Genesis Road (Madville Publishing, 2022), and two chapbooks. Her poems and fiction have appeared in journals and anthologies such as A Southern Poetry Anthology: Tennessee, Oxford American, Alaska Quarterly Review, Tupelo Quarterly, and Still: The Journal.

Jun 13, 202329:01
Now, Appalachia Interview with author Michael Farris Smith

Now, Appalachia Interview with author Michael Farris Smith

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Michael Farris Smith about his latest novel SALVAGE THIS WORLD. Michael Farris Smith is an award-winning writer whose novels have appeared on Best of the Year lists with Esquire, NPR, Southern Living, Garden & Gun, Book Riot, and numerous other outlets, and have been named Indie Next, Barnes & Noble Discover, and Amazon Best of the Month selections. He has also written the feature-film adaptations of his novels Desperation Road and The Fighter, titled for the screen as Rumble Through the Dark. He lives in Oxford, Mississippi, with his wife and daughters.

Jun 06, 202336:40
Now, Appalachia interview with author Russell Johnson

Now, Appalachia interview with author Russell Johnson

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Russell Johnson about his latest crime thriller THE MOONSHINE MESSIAH: A MOUNTAINEER MYSTERY. Russell is a fiction writer and North Carolina attorney. His debut story, "Chung Ling Soo's Greatest Trick," was published by ​Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine in January 2015 and won the Edgar Award's Robert L. Fish Memorial prize for best short story by a new author. Since then he's been published in a number of outlets and recently won the West Virginia Writers Association’s Pearl S. Buck Award, as well as first place for book length fiction. In addition, he has been a nominee or finalist for the Pushcart Prize, Claymore Award and Screencraft’s Cinematic Novel competition.

May 17, 202329:01
Now, Appalachia Interview with Crime Fiction author Andrew Welsh-Huggins

Now, Appalachia Interview with Crime Fiction author Andrew Welsh-Huggins

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews Ohio crime fiction author Andrew Welsh-Huggins about his latest thriller THE END OF THE ROAD. Andrew is a former reporter for the Associated Press, editor of “Columbus Noir” and author of the Andy Hayes detective series; “An Empty Grave,” the seventh book, was nominated for a Shamus Award in the Best Original Paperback PI Novel category by the Private Eye Writers of America.

Apr 25, 202333:47
Now, Appalachia Interview with Author Travis Rountree

Now, Appalachia Interview with Author Travis Rountree

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Travis Rountree about his new book "Hillsville Remembered: Public Memory, Historical Silence, and Appalachia's Most Notorious Shoot-Out."Travis an assistant professor of English at Western Carolina University. His writings have appeared in North Carolina Folklore Journal, Appalachian Journal, Journal of Southern History, and Storytelling in Queer Appalachia: Imagining and Writing the Unspeakable Other.

Apr 05, 202338:40
Now, Appalachia Interview with author Trace Conger

Now, Appalachia Interview with author Trace Conger

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews suspense and thriller writer Trace Conger about his new book THE WICKED SIDE. Trace Conger is an award-winning author in the crime, thriller, and suspense genres. He writes the Connor Harding (Thriller) series and the Mr. Finn (PI) series. His Connor Harding series follows freelance “Mirage Man” Connor Harding as he solves problems for the world’s most dangerous criminals. The Mr. Finn series follows private investigator Finn Harding as he straddles the fine line between right and wrong. Conger won a Shamus Award for his debut novel, THE SHADOW BROKER. His suspense novella, THE WHITE BOY, won the Fresh Ink Award for Best Novella of 2020. 

Mar 31, 202333:00
Now, Appalachia Interview with Affrilanchian Poet and Children's Book author Frank X. Walker

Now, Appalachia Interview with Affrilanchian Poet and Children's Book author Frank X. Walker

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews Affrilachian poet, educator, and children's book author Frank X. Walker about his latest children's book A IS FOR AFFRILACHIA. A native of Danville, Kentucky, Frank X Walker is the first African American writer to be named Kentucky Poet Laureate. Walker has published eleven collections of poetry, including Turn Me Loose: The Unghosting of Medgar Evers, which was awarded the 2014 NAACP Image Award for Poetry and the Black Caucus American Library Association Honor Award for Poetry. He is also the author of Buffalo Dance: The Journey of York, winner of the 2004 Lillian Smith Book Award, and Isaac Murphy: I Dedicate This Ride, which he adapted for stage, earning him the Paul Green Foundation Playwrights Fellowship Award. His poetry was also dramatized for the 2016 Contemporary American Theater Festival in Shepherdstown, WV and staged by Message Theater for the 2015 Breeders Cup Festival.

Feb 28, 202330:02
Now, Appalachia Interview with historian Lindsay Chervinsky

Now, Appalachia Interview with historian Lindsay Chervinsky

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot speaks with historian Lindsay Chervinsky about the latest book she edited with Dr. Matthew Costello titled MOURNING THE PRESIDENTS: LOSS ANS LEGACY IN AMERICAN CULTURE. Lindsay is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Presidential Studies at Southern Methodist University and she teaches about the presidency at the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University. Her columns can be found at Governing and Washington Monthly, and she contributes to the Washington Post, USA Today, Ms. Magazine, the Bulwark, NBC Think!, the Wall Street Journal, TIME, The Hill, and CNN. In her spare time, she loves hiking with her American Foxhound, John Quincy Dog Adams (Quincy for short).

Feb 21, 202338:48
Now, Appalachia Interview with editor and nonfiction author Wendy Welch

Now, Appalachia Interview with editor and nonfiction author Wendy Welch

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot speaks with editor and nonfiction author Wendy Welch about her latest book "Masks, Misinformation, and Making Do: Appalachian Health-Care Workers and the COVID-19 Pandemic." Wendy is the executive director of the Southwest Virginia Graduate Medical Education Consortium and the author, coauthor, or editor of six books, including <em>Fall or Fly: The Strangely Hopeful Story of Foster Care and Adoption in Appalachia</em> (also from Ohio University Press). She advocates for social justice in health care and other critical areas of development across Appalachia.
Jan 31, 202335:48
Now, Appalachia Interview with fiction author Ramona Reeves

Now, Appalachia Interview with fiction author Ramona Reeves

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews fiction author Ramona Reeves about her latest short story collection IT FALLS GENTLY ALL AROUND, winner of the 2022 True Heinz Literature Prize. Ramona grew up in Alabama. She has won the Nancy D. Hargrove Editors’ Prize and been an A Room of Her Own fellow and a resident at the Kimmel Nelson Harding Center for the Arts. Her writing has appeared in the Southampton Review, New South, Bayou Magazine, Texas Highways, and others.

Jan 10, 202332:36
Now, Appalachia Interview with author Marly Hazen Ynigues

Now, Appalachia Interview with author Marly Hazen Ynigues

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Mary Hazen Ynigues about her new book CHRISTMAS EVE IN THE MOUNTAIN STATE. Mary is a is a pun poet who believes in the moxie of the Mountain State! She served on Elkins City Council and earned two degrees in history with a thesis on an Appalachian Mine Wars community. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Marly lives in Morgantown, West Virginia, with her spouse Keola and their cats.

Dec 06, 202234:06
Now, Appalachia Interview with Horror author Andy Davidson

Now, Appalachia Interview with Horror author Andy Davidson

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot speaks with horror author Andy Davidson about his latest novel THE HOLLOW KIND. Andy is the Bram Stoker Award nominated author of In the Valley of the Sun and The Boatman's Daughter, which was listed among NPR's Best Books of 2020, the New York Public Library's Best Adult Books of the Year, and Library Journal's Best Horror of 2020. Born and raised in Arkansas, he makes his home in Georgia with his wife and a bunch of cats.

Nov 22, 202234:53
Now, Appalachia Interview with poet Sara Moore Wagner

Now, Appalachia Interview with poet Sara Moore Wagner

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews poet Sara Moore Wagner about her latest collection HILLBILLY MADONNA. Sara is the author of Swan Wife (winner of the 2021 Cider Press Review Editor's Prize), a recipient of a 2022 Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council, a 2021 National Poetry Series Finalist, and the recipient of a 2019 Sustainable Arts Foundation award. She is the author of the chapbooks Tumbling After (Redbird, 2022) and Hooked Through (Five Oaks Press, 2017). Her poetry has appeared in many journals and anthologies including Sixth Finch, Waxwing, Nimrod, Western Humanities Review, Tar River Poetry, and The Cincinnati Review, among others. She lives in West Chester, OH with her filmmaker husband Jon and their children, Daisy, Vivienne, and Cohen.

Nov 15, 202236:26
Now, Appalachia Interview with YA author Kevin Dunn

Now, Appalachia Interview with YA author Kevin Dunn

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews YA author Kevin Dunn about his latest book VICIOUS IS MY MIDDLE NAME. Kevin is in several bands, runs a small record label, publishes zines, and writes for Razorcake magazine. He also works at a small liberal arts college, where he teaches and publishes on a range of topics from African politics to international relations to global punk. He and his family split their time between Western New York state and Western North Carolina. Vicious is My Middle Name is his first novel.

Oct 11, 202229:43
Now, Appalachia interview with poet Thomas Richardson

Now, Appalachia interview with poet Thomas Richardson

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews poet Thomas Richardson. Thomas is a teacher and writer. Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, and raised in Columbus, Mississippi, he earned his bachelor's degree from Millsaps College and master's degrees from Vanderbilt University and Mississippi University for Women. He teaches English at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science in Columbus, where he resides with his wife Hillary, son Emmett, and their pets.

Oct 04, 202234:58
Now, Appalachia interview with linguist and author Dr. Michael Rost

Now, Appalachia interview with linguist and author Dr. Michael Rost

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot speaks with author and linguist Dr. Michael Rost about his latest book THE JOURNEY HOME: PORTRAITS OF HEALING. Michael is a renowned American linguist, specializing in psycholinguistics, language acquisition, language loss, in dementia. He has worked on language project in multiple countries and government institutions. Formerly a professor of linguistics, he currently lives in San Francisco as an independent scholar and author.

Sep 27, 202234:47
Now, Appalachia Interview with author Rebecca Bernard

Now, Appalachia Interview with author Rebecca Bernard

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Rebecca Bernard about her new short story collection OUR SISTER WHO WILL NOT DIE. Rebecca is an Assistant Professor in the English Department at Angelo State University. Her work has appeared in Colorado Review, Southwest Review, Juked, Pleiades, and elsewhere and has been recognized in Best American Short Stories.

Sep 13, 202237:35
Now, Appalachia Interview with author Culley Holderfield

Now, Appalachia Interview with author Culley Holderfield

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Culley Holderfield about his debut novel HEMLOCK HOLLOW. Culley learned to love storytelling on the porch of a cabin in the mountains of North Carolina. After graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill, he ventured to South America, Africa, and Europe. When not writing or working in community development finance, he spends his time hiking, paddling, and pondering in the outdoors. His short stories and poetry have appeared in a variety of publications. Hemlock Hollowis his debut novel. He lives in Durham, North Carolina.

Aug 30, 202229:20
Now, Appalachia Interview with author Kelly J. Ford

Now, Appalachia Interview with author Kelly J. Ford

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews mystery author Kelly J. Ford about her latest novel REAL BAD THINGS. Kelly J. Ford is the author of the award-winning Cottonmouths, a novel of “impressive depths of character and setting” according to the Los Angeles Review, which named it one of their Best Books of 2017.

An Arkansas native, Kelly writes about the power and pitfalls of friendship, the danger of long-held secrets, and the transcendent grittiness of the Ozarks and their surrounds. She lives in Vermont with her wife and cat.

Aug 16, 202230:14
Now, Appalachia Interview with founder Luke Hankins of Orison Books

Now, Appalachia Interview with founder Luke Hankins of Orison Books

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot profiles publisher Orison Books with founder Luke Hankins. Luke Hankins is the author of two full-length poetry collections, Radiant Obstacles and Weak Devotions, as well as a forthcoming chapbook, Testament (Texas Review Press, 2024). He is also the author of a collection of essays, The Work of Creation, and is the editor of Poems of Devotion: An Anthology of Recent Poets. A volume of his translations from the French of Stella Vinitchi Radulescu, A Cry in the Snow & Other Poems, was published by Seagull Books in 2019. Hankins is a graduate of the Indiana University MFA program, where he held the Yusef Komunyakaa Fellowship in Poetry.

Jul 26, 202228:01
Now, Appalachia Interview with author Christopher Kelder

Now, Appalachia Interview with author Christopher Kelder

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot speaks with author Christopher Kelder about his new book THE SECRET OF COBB CREEK: A DEPRESSION ERA STORY OF E. KENTUCKY. Christopher lives in Lexington, Kentucky and is an award winning filmmaker as well as the author of several children's books. This book is his most recent work.

Jul 12, 202228:22
Now, Appalachia interview with author Zach Steele

Now, Appalachia interview with author Zach Steele

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Zach Steele about his new novel THE WEIGHT OF ASHES. Broadleaf Writers Association Founder & Executive Director Zachary Steeleis the author of Anointed: The Passion of Timmy Christ, CEO and Flutter: An Epic of Mass Distraction. He has been featured by NPR, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Publishers Weekly, Baby Got Books, Shelf Awareness, and was nominated for the Sidewise Award for Alternate Fiction.

Jun 14, 202229:27
Now, Appalachia interview with author John Vercher

Now, Appalachia interview with author John Vercher

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot welcomes back author John Vercher to talk about his new novel AFTER THE LIGHTS GO OUT. John lives in the Philadelphia area with his wife and two sons. He has a Bachelor’s in English from the University of Pittsburgh and an MFA in Creative Writing from the Mountainview Master of Fine Arts program. He is a contributing writer for WBUR Boston’s Cognoscenti, and NPR features his essays on race, identity, and parenting. His debut novel, Three-Fifths, was named one of the best books of the year by the Chicago Tribune, CrimeReads, and Booklist. It was nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, and Strand Magazine Critics’ Awards for Best First Novel.

Jun 07, 202234:46
Now, Appalachia interview with journalist Ronnie Greene

Now, Appalachia interview with journalist Ronnie Greene

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews journalist Ronnie Greene about his latest book HEART OF ATLANTA: FIVE BLACK PASTORS AND THE SUPREME COURT VICTORY FOR INTEGRATION. Ronnie is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University and a veteran investigative reporter, who, over the years, has worked at the Center for Public Integrity, the Associated Press, and the Miami Herald. He is currently in the DC bureau of Reuters as Washington enterprise editor. He is the author of Shots on the Bridge, a narrative of the police shootings of unarmed innocents on the Danziger Bridge in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina; and Night Fire, an exposé of Shell Oil's toxic waste pollution of the African American district of Norco, LA, a company town.

May 24, 202231:49
Now, Appalachia interview with author Sheila Myers

Now, Appalachia interview with author Sheila Myers

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Sheila Myers about her new novel THE TRUTH OF WHO YOU ARE. Sheila Myers is an award-winning author and college professor in Upstate New York. Her penchant for research and meanderings through the wilderness, lakes, mountains, and vistas (and the occasional trip to a cemetery) in the U.S. and abroad, inspire her novels and short stories. She is adapting her stories to screenplays.

May 17, 202229:35
Now, Appalachia interview with author Scott Blackburn

Now, Appalachia interview with author Scott Blackburn

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Scott Blackburn about his new thriller novel IT DIES WITH YOU. Scott is an English instructor and a 2017 graduate of the Mountainview MFA program. He lives in High Point, North Carolina with his wife and two children. When he is not writing and teaching, Scott enjoys training in combat sports such as boxing, Muay Thai, and Ju-jitsu, in which he holds a black belt.

May 10, 202234:34
Now, Appalachia interview with podcast co-hosts (Pansuit Politics) and authors Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland

Now, Appalachia interview with podcast co-hosts (Pansuit Politics) and authors Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews Eliot interviews co-hosts of the Pantsuit Politics podcast as well as authors Beth Silvers and Sarah Stewart Holland. In addition to the podcast, they are the authors of "Now What?: How to Move Forward When We're Divided (About Basically Everything)." Sarah attended Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, and later received her Juris Doctor from American University. Sarah began her career as a congressional staffer, campaign aide, and blogger and social media consultant. She lives in Paducah, Kentucky. Beth s cohost with Sarah Stewart Holland of the popular podcast Pantsuit Politics and also coauthored I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversation. She attended Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, and later received her Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky. Beth has practiced law and served as a human resources executive and business coach. She lives in Union, Kentucky, and serves on several local boards of directors.

May 03, 202231:23
Now, Appalachia interview with author Jamie Lyn Smith

Now, Appalachia interview with author Jamie Lyn Smith

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot speaks with author Jamie Lyn Smith about her latest book TOWNSHIP. Jamie Lyn Smith is a writer, editor, and teacher. She earned her BA in English and Theatre from Kenyon College, her Masters in Education from Fordham University, and her MFA in Creative Writing from Ohio State University. Jamie Lyn is the Fiction Editor at BreakBread Magazine and a Consulting Editor for The Kenyon Review. Her work has appeared in The Pinch, Mississippi Review, The Kenyon Review, American Literary Review, Yemassee, Bayou, and others, and she is the recipient of a 2020 Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award in fiction.

Apr 27, 202236:57
Now, Appalachia interview with author Valerie Nieman

Now, Appalachia interview with author Valerie Nieman

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Valerie Nieman about her latest novel IN THE LONELY BACKWATER. Valerie has been a farmer, a sailor, a journalist, a teacher. To the Bones, a genre-bending novel about Appalachia, was published by West Virginia University Press in 2019, joining three earlier novels, a short fiction collection, and three poetry books. Her award-winning poetry and short prose have been published here and abroad. A graduate of WVU and Queens University of Charlotte, she has held state and NEA creative writing fellowships.

Apr 19, 202230:12
Now, Appalachia interview with Ohio author Michael Wayne Hampton

Now, Appalachia interview with Ohio author Michael Wayne Hampton

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews Ohio author Michael Wayne Hampton about his new novel DREAM KIDS. Michael Wayne Hampton is the author of five books of fiction. His criticism, essays, fiction, and poetry have appeared in numerous publications such as Atticus Review, The Southeast Review, 3AM Magazine, and Fiction Southeast.In 2013 he won The Deerbird Novella Prize, and in 2012 his work was nominated for Best American Short Stories. In the past he has been a semi-finalist for the Iowa Short Fiction Prize, and a two-time finalist for the World's Best Short Short Story Contest. In 2014, he was awarded an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award.

Apr 12, 202236:15
Now, Appalachia Interview with author Jess Montgomery

Now, Appalachia Interview with author Jess Montgomery

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Jess Montgomery about her latest novel THE ECHOES. Jess writes a Writer's Digest magazine column, "Level Up Your Writing (Life)" and was formerly the “Literary Life” columnist for the Dayton Daily News. Based on early chapters of the first book in the Kinship Series, The Widows, Jess was awarded an Ohio Arts Council individual artist’s grant for literary arts and named the John E. Nance Writer-in-Residence at Thurber House in Columbus. She also hosts the podcast, “Tea with Jess: Chatting with Authors & Artists.” Jess lives in her native state of Ohio.

Apr 05, 202237:14
Now, Appalachia Interview with Virginia historian Jonathan White

Now, Appalachia Interview with Virginia historian Jonathan White

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews Virginia historian Jonathan White about his new book: A HOUSE BUILT BY SLAVES: AFRICAN AMERICAN VISITORS TO THE WHITE HOUSE. Jonathan White is associate professor of American Studies at Christopher Newport University. He is the author of ten books and over 100 articles, essays, and reviews on Lincoln and the Civil War. His writing has appeared in Smithsonian, Time, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. He lives in Newport News, Virginia.

Mar 29, 202236:18
Now, Appalachia interview with author Nancy Allen

Now, Appalachia interview with author Nancy Allen

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Nancy Allen about her novel RENEGADE. Nancy Allen, author of the Ozarks Mystery Series, practiced law for fifteen years as Assistant Missouri Attorney General and Assistant Prosecutor in her native Ozarks. She’s tried over thirty jury cases, including murder and sexual offenses, and is now a law instructor at Missouri State University. Her debut novel, a legal thriller entitled The Code of the Hills, was published in 2014 by HarperCollins/Witness, followed by A Killing at the Creek (2015), The Wages of Sin (2016) and A Wolf in the Woods (2018).

Mar 15, 202233:24
Now, Appalachia Interview with author Robert Gwaltney

Now, Appalachia Interview with author Robert Gwaltney

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Robert Gwaltney about his novel THE CICADA TREE. Robert Gwaltney, a writer of southern fiction, is a graduate of Florida State University. He resides in Atlanta Georgia where he is an active member of the Atlanta literary community. By day, he serves as Vice President of Easter Seals North Georgia, Inc., Children Services, a non-profit supporting children with disabilities and other special needs. Robert’s work has appeared in such publications as The Signal Mountain Review and The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature. Robert also serves as Prose Editor for The Blue Mountain Review.

Mar 08, 202232:48
Now, Appalachia Interview with author Jessica Weible

Now, Appalachia Interview with author Jessica Weible

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews author Jessica Weible about her new non-fiction book DEAD LETTERS: DELIVERING OPENED MAIL FROM A PENNSYLVANIA GHOST TOWN. Jess Weible is a freelance writer and reporter. She is also a founding editor for The Watershed Journal, an inclusive, regional literary magazine for the western Pennsylvania wilds. Jess leads two writing groups, the Writer’s Block Party and the Rebecca M. Arthur’s Young Writers. She lives with her husband and two boys in Brookville, Pennsylvania.

Mar 01, 202232:51
Now, Appalachia interview with author J.V. Hilliard

Now, Appalachia interview with author J.V. Hilliard

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews science fiction author J.V. Hilliard about his latest book THE LAST KEEPER. Born of steel, fire, and black wind, J.V. Hilliard was raised as a highlander in the foothills of a once-great mountain chain on the confluence of the three mighty rivers that forged his realm’s wealth and power for generations.

His father, a peasant dwarf, toiled away in industries of honest labor and instilled in him a work ethic that would shape his destiny. His mother, a local healer, cared for his elders and his warrior uncle, who helped to raise him during his formative years. His genius brother, whose wizardly prowess allowed him to master the art of the abacus and his own quill, trained with him for battles on fields of green and sheets of ice.

Feb 22, 202227:32
Now, Appalachia Interview with author Ashley Blooms

Now, Appalachia Interview with author Ashley Blooms

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews Kentucky author Ashley Blooms about her latest novel WHERE I CAN'T FOLLOW. Ashley Blooms is the author of Every Bone a Prayer, which was long-listed for the Crook’s Corner Book Prize and which NPR said “bears within its pages striking beauty and strangeness in equal measure.” Her second novel, Where I Can’t Follow, will be published by Sourcebooks in February 2022. 

Born and raised in Cutshin, Kentucky, Blooms received her MFA as a John and Renee Grisham Fellow at the University of Mississippi. Her short stories have appeared in The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Strange Horizons, among others. Her nonfiction has appeared in the Oxford American. 

Feb 08, 202229:55
Now, Appalachia interview with poet Keri Gunter-Seymour
Jan 25, 202237:39
Now, Appalachia interview with author John Copenhaver

Now, Appalachia interview with author John Copenhaver

On the latest episode of Now, Appalachia, Eliot interviews Virginia author John Copenhaver about his latest book THE SAVAGE KIND. John is the author of Dodging and Burning, which won the Macavity Award for Best First Mystery Novel and garnered Anthony, Strand Critics, Barry, and Lambda Literary Award nominations. Copenhaver writes a crime fiction review column for Lambda Literary called “Blacklight,” is a co-host on the House of Mystery Radio Show, and is the six-time recipient of Artist Fellowships from the Washington, DC, Commission on the Arts and Humanities. He’s a Larry Neal awardee, and his work has appeared in CrimeReads, Electric Lit, Glitterwolf, PANK, New York Journal of Books, Washington Independent Review of Books. He lives in Richmond, VA, with his husband, artist Jeffery Paul.

Jan 11, 202234:59