Excerpt: Appalachia is a storied land. Every place within the region has its own story, and virtually every person who has spent a significant amount of time in a specific Appalachian place has been affected by—indeed, has become part of—that story.

Excerpt: A Other acclaimed masters of the spoken word scheduled to appear at this year’s Festival include David Novak, Minton Sparks, Joseph Bruchac, Milbre Burch, and Jackson Gillman. Each year the Festival seeks to represent storytelling from a range of cultural traditions, and this year is no exception. Rev. Robert Jones and Diane Ferlatte will present stories and music relating African American experience, while Festival attendees may also see and hear performances by Yiddish storyteller Shonaleigh, Chinese American storyteller and musician Charlie Chin, and Brazilian performance artist Antonio Rocha. Several special events will be held in Anyone who shares an appreciation for A the telling of stories should note that the world’s oldest and largest festival dedicated to celebrating that ancient art will take place a short drive from western North Carolina on October 4-6, 2013.