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In this "Places and Spaces" episode, we'll mark the October anniversary of Edgar Allen Poe's mysterious death with a visit to Poe's house in Baltimore and the cemetery where he is buried.
Then, listen to a haunting reading of "The Raven" (with audio by Brock Davidson.)

Special thanks to Brock Davidson for lending his voice to The Raven. Contact: gbdavidson7@icloud.com.

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*Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and review us (if you like it)!
*Support the show by sharing links to episodes on social
*Subscribe to support us on the Facebook Talking Appalachian page, or here at our Patreon page to get bonus content:
Talking Appalachian Podcast | Covering the Appalachian Region from North to South | Patreon
*Paypal to support the show: @amyclarkspain
*Follow and message me on IG, FB, YouTube: @talkingappalachian
*To sponsor an episode or collaborate: aclark@virginia.edu or message me at the link here or on social.

Unless another artist is featured, acoustic music on most episodes: "Steam Train" written by Elizabeth Cotten and performed by Landon Spain

What did you think of this episode?

In this chilling episode (just in time for spooky week), SWVA Museum Education Specialist Burke Greear joins me to talk about pre-funeral industry Appalachian customs and superstitions surrounding premonitions, death and burial. We'll explore the roots of terms like "death watch," "sitting up with the dead," "pallbearer," "kick the bucket," "living room" and "funeral parlor." Later, we'll talk about memorialization in death photography, memory pieces made of the hair of the deceased, and gravestones. We'll cover the do's and don'ts of death lore involving entering and exiting a house, covering mirrors, stopping clocks, and heeding the warning of a bird flying into the house (many people still live by these). And there's more: I'll share with you an excerpt of my favorite short story, "The Corpse Bird" by Ron Rash (set on Halloween). Trust me, if you've never read it, you'll want to after hearing the first part!

Special thanks to Burke Greear and the Southwest Virginia Museum and Historical State Park for the research and interview material.
"Corpse Bird" excerpt is from the short story collection Burning Bright by Ron Rash

Support the show

*Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and review us (if you like it)!
*Support the show by sharing links to episodes on social
*Subscribe to support us on the Facebook Talking Appalachian page, or here at our Patreon page to get bonus content:
Talking Appalachian Podcast | Covering the Appalachian Region from North to South | Patreon
*Paypal to support the show: @amyclarkspain
*Follow and message me on IG, FB, YouTube: @talkingappalachian
*To sponsor an episode or collaborate: aclark@virginia.edu or message me at the link here or on social.

Unless another artist is featured, acoustic music on most episodes: "Steam Train" written by Elizabeth Cotten and performed by Landon Spain

What did you think of this episode?

The co-editors of Appalachian Reckoning: a Region Responds to Hillbilly Elegy and the author of Hillbilly: a Cultural History of an American Icon join me to talk about the region's literary response to J.D. Vance's book, the layered meanings of "hillbilly," and why reclaiming accent matters to so many of us. We'll also talk about Hurricane Helene and its impact (not just economic, but psychological) on the region.

Support the show

*Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and review us (if you like it)!
*Support the show by sharing links to episodes on social
*Subscribe to support us on the Facebook Talking Appalachian page, or here at our Patreon page to get bonus content:
Talking Appalachian Podcast | Covering the Appalachian Region from North to South | Patreon
*Paypal to support the show: @amyclarkspain
*Follow and message me on IG, FB, YouTube: @talkingappalachian
*To sponsor an episode or collaborate: aclark@virginia.edu or message me at the link here or on social.

Unless another artist is featured, acoustic music on most episodes: "Steam Train" written by Elizabeth Cotten and performed by Landon Spain