Books And Bites

On this episode, we discuss books set in or about Appalachia, one of the prompts for Books & Bites Bingo. Collection Access Associate John David Hurley, who is from Mount Vernon, Kentucky, joins Michael, Carrie, and Jacqueline to share some favorite books about Appalachia. John David recommends a Books & Bites favorite, Elizabeth Catte’s What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia. He says it’s a good primer on the history of Appalachia, and it responds to JD Vance’s book, Hillbilly Elegy. John David also discusses Belonging: A Culture of Place by bell hooks, which explores identity and what it means to belong to Appalachia. Finally, he recommends All This Marvelous Potential: Robert Kennedy’s 1968 Tour of Appalachia by Matthew Algeo. Michael recommends Blood Runs Coal: The Yablonski Murder and the Battle for the United Mine Workers of America by Mark A. Bradley. Taking place mostly in central Appalachia during the late 60’s and early 70’s, this book looks at Joseph “Jock” Yablonski and his insurgen