Mountaintop removal is an issue that has plagued Appalachia as companies harvest coal from the mountains and cause consequent environmental and community effects. By focusing on three contemporary young adult novels that feature mountaintop removal, correlations between the novels and the real environmental and community effects can be drawn. The novels examined include: Saving Wonder by Mary Knight (2016), Dig Too Deep by Amy Allgeyer (2016), and The Secret Wisdom of the Earth by Christopher Scotton (2015). Mountaintop removal is a devastating and invasive process, and the costs on the land and people are irreversible as landscapes are drastically altered, water faces pollution, and communities suffer from health issues and mining accidents. Through the problems presented in the novels and their accurate descriptions of the mountaintop removal process, the fictional stories help prove that young adult literature has a purpose, teaches lessons, takes positions on controversial environmental issues, promotes critical thinking, and helps readers better understand their world. Therefore, if these novels can impart knowledge to readers about an environmental process and its consequences, it follows that other young adult novel can hold similar lessons for readers.

This thesis examines the formation of Appalachian studies as an academic field from roughly 1970 to 1982. First, this thesis analyses regionalism and what defines a region, focusing on the different contexts and narratives through which Appalachia has been described. Second, this thesis examines how scholars and activists in the region challenged prevailing narratives and sought new ways to examine and contextualize the region. Efforts to challenge stereotypes and address the social, political, and economic problems of the region galvanized academics and activists alike. Despite their similar work and shared vision for an interdisciplinary regional field, academics and activists often disagreed on the methodologies and goals of Appalachian studies.

“Mash” is a term used to describe one of the most recent major style shifts in the iconic American string band music known as bluegrass. Beginning in the 1990s, the bluegrass sound began to evolve, and ‘mash’ worked its way into the genre as a descriptor of a certain sound. Though a handful of scholars have discussed the social stigmas of the style, no one yet has investigated the simple musical question about mash: what is it? The purpose of this thesis is to define mash in its musical form through a combination of transcription methods and extensive analysis. Through this research, a recurring set of musical phenomena is identified in the repertoire, related to rhythms, melody, and modality. This study shows the relationship between the downbeat and this music, and identifies and articulates the musical characteristics that define mash as a unique style of bluegrass.

Through the characters’ ideas of religion as seen in The Dollmaker by Harriette Arnow, a full image of who Christ is in World War II America is shown. While the text appears to critique certain images of Christ through the characters’ representations, the greater, more conclusive argument advocating religious diversity is proven. The characters, instead of having their representation of Christ based in only the Christian denomination from which they come, represent Christ through their character traits.

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In December 1999, a website popular among music fans, mudcat.org, featured a thread that encouraged speculation about “The Essential Folk Recordings.” Thread participants—including prominent promoters of folk music—agreed upon the lasting importance of three collections: Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music, Alan Lomax’s field recordings, and Ralph Peer’s 1927 Bristol Sessions. Also mentioned by some participants were a few recent compilations, as well as certain albums from major folk and blues musicians. Many participants lamented the dearth of reissued folk music on compact disc from the back-catalog of Elektra Records, a company renowned for its contributions to the genre during the urban folk music revival. And one Elektra release, The Folk Box, received particular praise from a number of people fortunate enough to have heard it.

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Lee Bidgood was joined by Richard Cifersky, Ed Snodderly, Daniel Boner, and Jeff Elkins in performing Czech translations of bluegrass classics, as well as original Czech material in both Czech and English.

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