Dolly Parton Songteller Book Review

There’s never been a more wonderful time to be a Dolly Parton fan, y’all. All of a sudden, the whole world is figuring out what some of us have known for years, which is that Dolly Rebecca Parton of Sevier County, Tennessee is The Actual Queen of All The Things. She’s celebrated as an icon and a philanthropist and a businesswoman. She’s been on TV and Netflix and a quirky little podcast. And it looks like she might just save our lives.

Whatever your conception of Dolly — her over-the-top appearance, her amazing capacity for kindness, her rather newly-anointed status as America’s Patron Saint — her original role is as a songwriter. In Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, Dolly notes that, no matter her accomplishments as an actress and performer, she thinks of herself primarily as a songwriter.

Songteller is a celebration of Dolly’s career as a songwriter, which has spanned over six decades. The book showcases dozens of her most popular and memorable songs, with Dolly providing memories and backstory to each song. The result is a fascinating and visually stunning look at Dolly’s amazing career as a performer and storyteller.

The hardcover coffee table book is a must-have for serious fans of Dolly or of country music. The book features well-known stories like the inspirations behind Jolene or I Will Always Love You, but also dives into stories that may be new even to devotees. (I particularly loved the story of Merle Haggard’s unrequited crush on Dolly!) The Audible version of the book brings an intimacy to the stories, as you actually hear Miss Dolly recalling each song, while the book provides stunning visual accompaniment. Both hardback and audio versions are a fascinating experience for anyone who loves Dolly Parton, Appalachian culture, country music, or just heartwarming and wholesome stories of good music. Both the hardcover and audio versions are 5/5 must-reads!!

Ways to Help Eastern Kentuckians Impacted by the Winter Storm

Hey y’all. This week’s winter storm certainly is pretty, but it’s hit the mountains of Eastern Kentucky so hard. So many folks back home in the hills are still without power and water in these awful temperatures. A couple of my friends / favorite Louisville-area bloggers (Danielle of LouWhatWear and Lindsay of Bourbon & Lipstick) asked about how to help the 606 on social media this morning, and I went to the source, asking my friends back home whom they’d donate to or recommend for help. Please feel free to share away and let me know if there are more donation sources to add! I’ll update as we hear of more ways to help!

If you’d like to donate:

Across EKY:
Appalachian Community Fund. Says organizer Misty Skaggs, “Anything that goes into our community fund right now is going right back out to community support.” Donate at: tinyurl.com/ekycommunityfund

Hickman Holler Appalachian Relief Fund: Yet another reason to love Tyler Childers and Senora May. The fund was established by these amazing Appalachian musicians last year to bring financial support and awareness for the Appalachian Region. Donate here: https://www.cfmt.org/giving-and-investing/become-a-donor/give-to-a-fund/hickman-holler-appalachia-relief-fund/

Floyd County:

Heaven’s Harvest Food Pantry is a faith-led Emergency Food Pantry located in Printer, KY.. Donate at: https://heavensharvestfood.wixsite.com/website

Johnson County:

Big Sandy Area Community Action Program provides emergency food and shelter. Donate here.

Pastor Amy Chapman of the Mayo Memorial Methodist Church notes that Paintsville area churches are partnering to provide assistance to residents of the shelter at the Recreation Center. Says Pastor Chapman, “Immediate needs are drinks and some personal hygiene items and towels/shower items. I would say to pour any resources into a local church who can assist in managing those donations.” Contact the Mayo UMC on Facebook.

Pike County:

East KY Dream Center is a dining hall in Pikeville offering hot meals to those in need. Donate here.

Grace Community Kitchen is a faith-based mission that offers hot meals and haircuts to those in need. Donate here.

If you need access to Warming Centers:

Boyd County

Boyd County Convention and Arts Center 15605 KY-180 Catlettsburg

The center is open 24 hours a day. It has chairs and cots; social distancing guidelines will be enforced. National Guard Crews are on-site to assist in operations and transportation to the center. Anyone who needs assistance should call Boyd County Emergency Operations Center at 606-393-1801 or 606-393-1842.

Breathitt County

First Church of God (1772 Hwy 30 W, Jackson) is open as a warming center.  Contact Breathitt County Emergency Services for more details 606-666-3815.

Carter County

First Baptist Church of Grayson (162 North Court Street, Grayson) is open as a warming center.  The church is open 24 hours a day.

Floyd County
The Martin Community Center (7199 Ky Route 80 Langley, KY 41645) is now open as a warming center. Contact the Floyd County Judge Executive’s office for information.

Johnson County
The Warming Center has transitioned to an Emergency shelter at the Paintsville Recreation Center (232 Preston St, Paintsville, KY 41240) and is being managed by the staff at the Rec Center, area volunteers and County Employees. There are 11 persons there currently. Local churches are partnering to provide supplies and meals.

Knott County

The following location are open as warming stations: 

·       Hindman Volunteer Fire Department, 89 Cowtown Road, Hindman  

·       Human Services Center, 40 Center Street, Hindman    

·       Fisty Volunteer Fire Department, 1736 Trace Branch Road, Fisty    s

·       Kite Topmost Volunteer Fire Department, 10018 S Highway 7, Kite   

·       Lotts Creek Volunteer Fire Department, 6894 Lotts Creek Road, Lotts Creek    

·       Vicco Sassafras Volunteer Fire and Rescue, 357 Main Street, Vicco

If you need additional assistance, contact Knott County Emergency Management 606-785-9386 or 606-276-7178 or Jeff Dobson, County Judge Executive 606-785-5592.

Letcher County

Letcher Co Recreation Center (1505 Jenkins Rd, Whitesburg) is open as a warming center. Contact Letcher County Emergency Management for more information 606-633-0429.

Magoffin County

Lloyd M. Hall Community Center (88 Church House Road, Salyersville) is open as a warming center.  Contact Magoffin County Emergency Management for more details 606-349-2313.

Perry County

Perry Co Courthouse is serving as a warming center. (481 Main St, Hazard). Contact Perry County Emergency Management for more information 606-439-1816.

Lotts Creek Community School Hazard Director Alice Whitaker says  “we have a well stocked food pantry and the school building which can be a warming station in the event of power outage.”

Rowan County

A warming center at the Laughlin Building (Morehead University Campus) is open for citizens who need to stay warm during the outage. There is a lot of space at this facility, and social distancing guidelines will still be able to be enforced, and masks are available. The doors are unlocked Monday – Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Call 606-207-5028 if you require entry after these hours.

The H Word, JD Vance, and Appalachian Identity

{This blog post contains commissionable links to my Bookshop affiliate account. I receive a very small commission on your purchase, at no cost to you. That said, I ask that you please don’t buy Hillbilly Elegy; don’t give that work or its author any more power. I frequently add more fitting books to the Appalachian Voices page of my Bookshop storefront.}

Growing up, there were a handful of words that under no circumstances were my brother and I ever allowed to say. There were the usual ones, the ones that probably got y’all in trouble with your parents as well, and then there was the H word. You know the one. Well, at least if you grew up like I did, in 1980s Eastern Kentucky with educator parents, you know the one: Hillbilly.

“I’m proud of my hillbilly, white trash background. To me, that keeps you humble; that keeps you good. And it doesn’t matter how hard you try to outrun it. If that’s who you are, that’s who you are. It’ll show up once in a while. ”

— Dolly Parton

The message was clear: yes, it’s a pejorative term for people from the Appalachian region. Yes, people say it about us, both behind our backs and to our faces. But if we allow ourselves to play into the stereotype, then we’re giving them power over us.

Now, I’ll admit that, over the years, I’ve played with dropping the H-bomb myself. Isn’t that what taboo words are for? I was taking back the idiom, as they say. Besides, Miss Dolly Parton embraced the term, and who am I to question Dolly? But, anytime I did use that word it was always with the sense that “I can say it because I am one. Y’all can’t.”

The truth of that word, whether taboo or reclaimed, remains constant: it’s a “them and us” mentality. Appalachians are, by definition, sheltered. Our geography and our culture sets us apart. We learned a long time ago not to trust outsiders. A few may come to help — Mrs. Alice Lloyd comes to mind, as does Mary Breckinridge — but most come to exploit us. Because of the cycle of exploitation and ridicule, we’ve learned to protect ourselves from outsiders. My grandfather grew up on the campus of Alice Lloyd College in the 1930s and ‘40s. He often told a story about when he was 17 and Mrs. Lloyd found work a group of local Knott County boys on a Massachusetts cranberry bog. When a Boston reporter interviewed my Poppy and his friends, they purposely defied all expected stereotypes by speaking perfectly enunciated, grammatically-correct English. Similarly, a few years ago when a UC Berkeley professor profiled my brother about his remarkable career in coding, our entire family proceeded with extreme trepidation until she won our trust. Call it us vs. y’all or call it insular behavior, if you ain’t from around here, we don’t quite trust you.

Last thing I’ll say about JD Vance is I also grew up in a holler with moonshiners, coal miners and all the stock hillbilly characters. Venture capital has also put money in my pocket. Difference between him and me is that I don’t consider myself superior for “rising above it.”

— Heather Watson⚜️ HerKentucky (@HerKentucky) October 14, 2020

In one of the very first posts on this blog, I mused that, every few years, there’s some documentary or photography exhibit or TV show that reinforces all the old, hurtful stereotypes. Of course, I’ve been pretty vocal about my own Appalachian identity and my loathing of these pandering displays over the years, so it wasn’t exactly surprising that yesterday, when Netflix dropped the first trailer for the film adaptation of J.D. Vance’s best-selling memoir Hillbilly Elegy, a lot of people texted, tweeted, or Facebooked to ask my opinion. I certainly have one, that much is for sure.

Mr. Vance is an Ohio native who was raised in part by his grandparents, natives of rural Breathitt County, KY. Hillbilly Elegy tells the story of a difficult childhood: Mr. Vance and his sister were abandoned by their father and, later, by their drug-addicted, frequently-married mother. He spent time in Middletown, Ohio, a steel town outside Cincinnati, as well as with his grandparents in Breathitt County. After troubled high school years, Mr. Vance went on to a stint in the Marines before matriculating at Ohio State University and Yale Law School. He went on to a Silicon Valley venture capital career before settling into a million-dollar Cincinnati home. Elegy tells the story of his tumultuous childhood, shaped by his iron-willed grandmother and the cycles of addiction, violence, and poverty so common to Appalachian families. The love among Vance’s family members, even in hard times, is apparent, and his Mamaw is a wildly compelling character. His academic and professional success is impressive. But, Mr. Vance is way too self-satisfied in his telling of rising above his humble beginnings and his analysis of Appalachian culture smugly oversimplifies so much.

Hillbilly Elegy experienced tremendous success when it was released in 2016, reaching the top spot on the New York Times Bestseller List and securing Oprah’s recommendation. Many viewed the work’s analysis of blue-collar rural Americans as a key to understanding the paradoxes of that demographic’s support of then-Presidential-hopeful Donald Trump. Suddenly, his tale of personal success had a very coded message about the politics of the disenfranchised. And, it seemed a launching pad for Mr. Vance to embark upon a career as a conservative pundit and potential political candidate. It also pissed off a whole lot of Appalachians. Mr. Vance’s analysis of Appalachians’ perceived laziness (“many folks talk about working more than they actually work.” and financial instability (“We spend our way to the poorhouse… Thrift is inimical to our being.”) are cruel and antiquated, painting all hillbillies with the broadest possible brushstrokes. Faced with these ad hominem attacks on our very existence, Appalachians have, in the four years since Hillbilly Elegy’s publication, responded with more nuanced and reasonable books of essays. We’ve also collectively shouted that he ain’t even from around here.

The brilliant singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson — himself an actual native of Jackson in Breathitt County, and not just a sometime visitor — mocked Hillbilly Elegy by calling it “Tuesdays with Meemaw” and noting “I’ll give this to J.D.- like so many coastal elites that have come to eastern Kentucky to point out all its problems, much like them he offered no solutions, but just found a way to get f—ing paid for it. Twice.” My own view has always been that Mr. Vance is like the kid that every Appalachian youth has encountered - the one who comes down from Ohio to go to Vacation Bible School with his cousins and tries to tell us how backward we are. Yes, your Mamaw lives here, but you don’t, kid. You don’t get to claim “insider” status on telling us how to live.

My paternal grandparents receiving degrees from Eastern Kentucky University, 1961

In the four years since Hillbilly Elegy’s publication — four years since I started reading the book, then gave up and disgustedly put it in my neighborhood Little Free Library because I just didn’t want it around me — I’ve thought a lot about my own Appalachian experience in contrast with Mr. Vance’s. I didn’t live through generational abuse and trauma. I was fortunate to have parents who worked hard and treated my brother and me well. I was fortunate to come from folks who had access to higher education. My relationship with my own tough-as-nails Appalachian grandmother isn’t traumatic or fraught. I’ve had kinfolk who made really great personal and professional decisions and others who haven’t. I chose to leave the holler; my brother has built a fascinating career in our hometown. I know Appalachian folks who, like Mr. Vance, have gone on to Ivy League law schools. I can count at least three folks from my hometown who currently work at the Cleveland Clinic. I have friends who’ve stayed in Appalachia and enriched our community as schoolteachers and policemen. And I know a few folks who don’t seem to do much of anything. I don’t really judge their worth by their resumes or their bank accounts. One group is neither inherently lazy and irresponsible nor categorically commendable. I didn’t grow up in the cartoon of Mr. Vance’s Appalachia, and I don’t particularly want to hear his commentary on my homeland.

So, to answer the question asked of me yesterday, I won’t be watching Colorado native Amy Adams and Connecticut-born Glenn Close in an Oscar-bait, poverty-porn denigration of my homeland. I don’t need to laugh at gorgeous and talented actresses in cringeworthy hillbilly garb. Maybe I’m continuing the exclusionary cycle of us vs. them that keeps Appalachia secluded or maybe, once again, I’m shielding myself from harmful outsiders.

All I know is that we real hillbillies will be over here savoring the lyrics of Dolly Parton, Sturgill Simpson, and Tyler Childers instead.

Kentucky Parks & Crafts Poster Series

If you grew up in Kentucky, I'm willing to bet you have some pretty amazing memories of visiting at least one of Kentucky's state parks. I know I do. 

Every summer when I was a kid , my family visited Jenny Wiley State Park for picnics and family reunions. We'd go see plays at the outdoor theatre, and we'd celebrate my brother's birthday. 

My cousin Amy and I cheese for the camera at Jenny Wiley State Park.

My brother opens some sweet Power Rangers gear at his birthday party, as my grandmother looks on. Jenny Wiley State Park.

Our state parks are pretty amazing. They're accessible to all Kentuckians, and they provide free recreation for folks of all ages. The 49 Kentucky State Parks cover approximately 45,000 acres of the Commonwealth, and they are one of only a handful of state parks systems that remain free of charge for users. And that's where things start to get a little odd. We have a lot of state parkland, and only a finite amount of park funding. Only $8 million was allocated to park maintenance from 2005 - 2015; in 2016, the Kentucky State Parks were allocated $16 million as part of a “Refreshing the Finest” campaign which funded projects like the renovation of the then fire-damaged May Lodge at my beloved Jenny Wiley State Park. It is estimated that, at present, the Kentucky State Parks System is still vastly underfunded with a total deferred maintenance for all 49 parks standing at a total of $240 million.  We take our parks for granted -- they've always just been there -- but they take serious money to maintain.

The Kentucky State Parks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit entity that serves as an independent fundraising, advocacy, and education resource for Kentucky's state parks. The KSPF, which receives no funding from the Commonwealth of Kentucky nor the Kentucky Department of Parks,  exists to help the Commonwealth's state parks stay viable. It's a pretty important job, and you can help. You can donate directly to the KSPF, you can become a Friend of your local park by joining a group that donates volunteer hours and financial resources to an individual park, or you can shop the Kentucky Parks and Crafts Poster series to show the world which Kentucky State Park you love the most.

The Kentucky Parks & Crafts Poster Series is comprised of 16 art prints, priced at $20 each, which celebrate some of Kentucky's best-loved parks. I can't wait to hang the Jenny Wiley print and the Cumberland Falls print in my office; both remind me of wonderful childhood memories!

If you'll be in the Louisville area this week, be sure to visit Revelry Boutique Gallery this Thursday, May 24th, from 5:30 - 7 pm for the release party for the entire poster series! If you'd like to win a State Park poster of your own from HerKentucky and Kentucky for Kentucky, keep an eye on my Instagram and Facebook pages. And let me know in the comments below, what's your favorite Kentucky State Park?

Dolly Parton's I Believe in You Benefits Imagination Library

I seriously love Dolly Parton, y'all. 

Reese Witherspoon knows what's up.

I mean, she's a mountain girl with big hair who followed her dreams and forged her own path. She basically drew a road map for me.

Of course, beyond her timeless songs (there really isn't a serious argument against my belief that Jolene is the best song ever written...) and two of the most iconic movie roles ever (Doralee and Truvy, obvs), there's Dolly's commitment to treating others well, sharing her good fortune, and generally doing the right thing. Dolly has been vocal about her support of marriage equality. She gave millions of dollars Gatlinburg-area families the funds to help them get back on their feet after devastating fires claimed their homes. 

And then there's the Imagination Library. Y'all, this is seriously one of the coolest initiatives ever. Miss Dolly founded the Imagination Library in 1995 to provide books to the children of her hometown Sevierville, Tennessee. Dolly's mission to ensure that children had access to high-quality, age-appropriate books, regardless of household income, was designed to honor her own father, whose circumstances in the Appalachian hills of Tennessee led to his never learning to read or write. Over the past 22 years, the Imagination Library has mailed more than 100 million books to children in Australia, Belize, Canada, United Kingdom and the United States. This service is completely free to the recipients, y'all! Over 1600 communities are served, and over 1.1 million children have registered!

Here in Kentucky, there are over fifty Imagination Library affiliate programs. You can register your child aged 2-5, regardless of household income, if you live in an area supported by the Imagination Library. I love the fact that my little niece receives a monthly Imagination Library book! She already loves books, the alphabet, and reading, and she's showing every sign of having some seriously big hair of her own. It’s a pretty good start for a little mountain girl!

If you love Miss Dolly (and childhood literacy) as much as I do, then you should check out Dolly’s new children’s album, “I Believe in You” which is available in stores today! All proceeds from the album benefit the Imagination Library. There’s even a special edition CD package that comes with a children’s book based on Dolly’s song Coat of Many Colors. What a cute Christmas present!

Here's to big-haired mountain girls who know what they want, and who always exhibit grace and kindness on their journey!

Love Dolly as much as I do? Shop the Draper James What Would Dolly Do collection! This tee might be the most-complimented item I own! 

Fried Green Tomatoes

View fullsize

My family takes our fried green tomato recipes pretty seriously. Sometimes I think we have as many variants as we do relatives, and we have a lot of kinfolk. One  aunt uses a flour coating and a nonstick skillet. Another uses all cornmeal for her breading. My brother soaks his 'maters in buttermilk and hot sauce before battering them and placing them in the deep fryer. As for me, I like a flour/cornmeal mix, a bite of heat, and the smooth texture that can only be accomplished with a cast iron skillet.

First, I pick out two or three green tomatoes. It's best if they're at the "almost ripe" stage. 

Then, I slice them thin. A mandolin or a tomato knife should do the trick.

Then, I make a dredge of one part all-purpose flour to one part corn meal. I season with salt, fresh cracked pepper, and some cayenne. I temper the cayenne to the tastes of my dining companions. When it's just Bob and me, we like them pretty spicy.

Then, you fry them. As far as I'm concerned, there's simply no replacement for cast iron. Preferably the kind that's been seasoned for decades. Then, I add some bacon grease to the cast iron skillet and heat on medium-high heat, frying them in small batches until golden brown. You want a good, crispy crust on your tomatoes.

Of course, they're fabulous to eat as a side dish or snack, but I love adding them to other dishes as well. These fried green tomatoes are topped with a dollop of pimiento cheese (I love jalapeño Palmetto Cheese!) and a slice of bacon. They are so good, y'all!

A fried green tomato BLT is pretty amazing as well!

How do y'all fry your green tomatoes?

Lilly Pulitzer Kentucky Derby Quilt

View fullsize

Happy Derby Weekend, y'all!

I've shown you most of my quilt collection before, but this may just be the most special one of all!

Several years ago, we were able to find some yardage of this gorgeous Lilly Pulitzer print on eBay. The print is "Low Riders," and it features gorgeous shades of mint, periwinkle, and butter, as well as horses and some rather iconic spires.

Of course, it's no secret that Lilly and Derby go hand in hand! My local Lilly Pulitzer store, The Peppermint Palm, goes all out for Derby; they always work with local milliners to match the latest Lilly prints, host the Derby Festival Princesses, and generally have lots of Derby-time fun! 

View fullsize

The ties between the Lilly Pulitzer brand and the equestrian lifestyle go back to Mrs Pulitzer's own love of horses. The late Mrs Pulitzer often cited these ties to her own childhood memories of traveling to Kentucky from her family's upstate New York home to watch her stepfather's horses run at Churchill Downs. As a young adult, Lilly even served as a horseback courier for the Frontier Nursing Service in southeastern Kentucky!

My Lilly Derby quilt is such a special keepsake, because it combines so many things that I absolutely love -- Lilly Pulitzer, the Kentucky Derby, and the priceless feeling of having a quilt made by my grandmother! 

View fullsize

Happy Derby, y'all!

Check out more Quilt of the Week posts here:

• Navy + Blue Bear Paw Quilt
• Orange + Green Halloween Quilt
• Pink + White Dresden Plate
• Blue + White Kentucky Wildcats
• Pink + White Double Wedding Ring
• Yellow + Green Grandmother's Flower Garden
• Pink + Green Plaid Butterfly
• Red + White Ohio Star
• Pink + White Kentucky Wildcats Patchwork
• Pink + Green Lilly Pulitzer Patchwork Quilt
• Pink + Green Hearts + Polka Dots Quilt
• Blue + Brown Kitchen Patchwork Quilt
• Red + Green Christmas Patchwork Quilt
• Poinsettia + Christmas Tree Quilt