43rd ANNUAL APPALACHIAN STUDIES CONFERENCE Appalachian Understories: Growing Hope and Resilience from Commonwealth to Global Commons University of Kentucky | Lexington, Kentucky March 12 - 15 • 2020 2020 Conference Program Welcome We are thrilled to welcome you to Lexington for the 43rd more help us celebrate these native forests’ beauty, cultural annual meeting of the Appalachian Studies Association vitality, biodiversity, and healing power. Mary Hufford, Ruby (#AppalachianUnderstories)! For the first time ever, we gather at Daniels, and Tommy Cabe present “Mixed Mesophytic Nation: the University of Kentucky (UK), the Commonwealth’s flagship Pathways to Citizenship,” a plenary recognizing that forest university. UK is, and for decades has been, a vital center of understories, though easily overlooked, are places of beauty teaching, research, and service for our beloved region. It has and strength. a well-earned and long-standing reputation for leadership in Appalachian studies. Key supporters of the work beneath The 2020 conference also focuses on a range of human this reputation, including the UK Appalachian Center, the “understories.” Here we work to help amplify the many Graduate Appalachian Research Community, and the College Appalachian voices that are too often obscured. The 2020 of Arts and Sciences are among our on-campus hosts. Beyond- gathering highlights black Appalachians; health and healing; campus hosts include two inspiring Kentucky-based service women, gender, and sexuality; and hope spots. A plenary on organizations with deep Appalachian roots, Appalshop and Black Appalachian women, featuring Karida Brown, Ash-Lee LiKEN (Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network). The 2020 Woodard Henderson, Crystal Wilkinson, and Kelley Navies, conference—like ASA itself—grows from the collaborative showcases work in various areas, from film and literature to work of academics and activists. We also are lucky to be able to museums and social justice organizations. call UK’s new Gatton Student Center our core ASA location, with several other wonderful sites adding to a beautiful scene for We also feature a variety of “understory” telling methods, learning and growing. including filmmaking, oral history, literature, music, photography, performance, and other art forms. And there’s As always, a team of dedicated volunteers has worked for more! We tap UK’s many intellectual and cultural riches. Here’s three years to prepare this gathering. Taking inspiration a sample: Affrilachian poetry, cutting- edge medical research, from the magnificent native forests that grace and sustain globally recognized oral history collections, and the largest our region, we have themed the 2020 ASA conference Appalachian archives on earth. We congratulate Appalshop on “Appalachian Understories: Growing Hope and Resilience its 50th birthday! We celebrate the Whitesburg studio’s half- from Commonwealth to Global Commons.” For the first time century of visionary “understories” telling through film, media, in ASA history, our conference theme invites us to closely education, theater, music, and other arts. In the hope spots consider the “understories” of the woods themselves. We plenary, Courtney Lewis, Alex Gibson, Betsy Taylor, Wayne Riley, human Appalachians are fortunate to have the world’s richest Kathryn Engle, Alyssa Dyer, Grace Moses, Madison Mooney, temperate forests rooted in our region. Panels, workshops, and Continued on page 2 PROGRAM TABLE OF CONTENTS Continued from page 1 Christopher Barton, and Nina McCoy show us how Appalshop is Conference Organizers ..............................................................................3 but one example of growth and resiliency in the region. Conference Host, Partners, and Sponsors ..........................................3 Parking ........................................................................................................... 3 The program committee designed ASA 2020 with an eye not Meal Tickets ................................................................................................. 3 only to important “understories” but also to shared experiences and connections among conference strands. Instead of a Food & Drink ................................................................................................ 3 keynote/plenary model we opted for a series of plenaries, First Time Attendees ...................................................................................4 each speaking to the “Appalachian Understories” theme and, Pronoun Stickers .........................................................................................4 as much as possible, to each other. No other sessions have Certification of Participation ...................................................................4 been scheduled during the plenaries, and we invite everyone to attend each. We hope these common experiences will yield Exhibit Area ..................................................................................................4 rich fruit in many forms, including ongoing conversations, Silent Auction ...............................................................................................4 collaborations, and creative projects across themes. Technology (presentations, Wi-Fi, Social Media, Printing) ............5 Accessibility and Inclusion .......................................................................5 UK is one of only a handful of “R1” (meaning doctoral universities with very high research activity) universities serving Where Everything Happens .....................................................................5 the Appalachian region. Our medical campus is a world-class Conference Highlights ...............................................................................6 institution, and we hope to highlight this and other important Field Trips........................................................................................................6 health and healing themes in the plenary that includes Keisa Special Events ...............................................................................................7 Fallin-Bennet, Joy Gritton, Danielle King, Ouita Michel, and F. Douglas Scutchfield. Opportunities to Gather ...........................................................................9 Exhibits ..........................................................................................................10 We also hope everyone is able to attend the opening* and Conference Schedule and Overview ..................................................11 closing ceremonies, a program innovation this year designed Conference Schedule ...............................................................................13 to further explore “Appalachian Understories,” celebrate our annual gathering, and provide another set of rich common ASA Committee Meetings ......................................................................33 experiences. Journal of Appalachian Studies Submissions ...................................33 Conference Digital Collection ...............................................................33 We would like to thank the ASA staff and all presenters. You About ASA ....................................................................................................34 make this event exactly what it is. A special thanks is needed for the program committee, conference sponsors, abstract ASA Committees ........................................................................................36 reviewers, volunteers, and all of our community supporters. You List of Advertisers and Exhibitors ........................................................38 make this event possible. Index of Presenters ...................................................................................39 Advertisements ..........................................................................................45 Kathy Newfont, Conference Chair Campus Map ...............................................................................................71 Jennifer Cramer, Program Chair Jane Jensen, Local Arrangements Chair ASA Mission Statement The mission of the Appalachian Studies Association is to promote and engage dialogue, research, scholarship, education, creative expression, and action among a diverse and inclusive group of scholars, educators, *This event is made possible by support from UK and from a practitioners, grassroots activists, students, individuals, matching grant from Kentucky Humanities in cooperation with groups and institutions. Our mission is driven by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, our commitment to foster quality of life, democratic conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program, do participation and appreciation of Appalachian not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the experiences regionally, nationally and internationally. Humanities or Kentucky Humanities. 2 CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS Loyal Jones Appalachian Center at Berea College Marshall University Program Committee: Jennifer Cramer (chair), Kathy Newfont Medical Missionaries of Mary (ex officio), Anna Biller, Lesly-Marie Buer, Kathryn Engle, Mary Morehead State University Hufford, Emma Kiser, Jillean McCommons, Tanya Turner, and Ohio University Press/Swallow Press Jessica Wilkerson Old Cove Press Local Planning Committee: Jane Jensen (chair), Philis Alvic, The Jenks Initiative Chris Barton, Revell Carr, Zada Komara, Chris Prichard, Brett