Find yourself in the stories of Appalachia
Explore the books, writers, and traditions that shape the region's literary imagination.
Made In Appalachia
The digest
Essays, interviews, criticism, reading lists, and conversations about Appalachian literature.
Published monthly via Substack. Explore the books, writers, places, and traditions that shape the region's literary imagination.
The prose chapbook series
Beautifully designed books featuring emerging and established writers with ties to Appalachia.
Each volume presents a distinctive voice and a new contribution to the region's literary tradition.
Featured Book
These Dreaming Hills:
Dark and Wondrous Tales from Appalachia
Appalachian literature has always been haunted by strange landscapes, old stories, and the thin boundary between the ordinary and the extraordinary. These Dreaming Hills celebrates that tradition while introducing readers to some of the region's most exciting contemporary writers.
Coming Oct. 13
From the Made In Appalachia chapbook series
Each volume in the Made in Appalachia series introduces readers to a distinctive voice shaped by the people, places, and traditions of the Appalachian region. Beautifully designed and carefully curated, these chapbooks celebrate the breadth and vitality of contemporary Appalachian literature.
Four curious chickens find themselves in the fastidious Mrs. Britin’s yard, much to her annoyance. With a front row seat to her exasperation, Mrs. Britin’s neighbors watch the woman losing more and more of her cool, taking escalating actions to rid her yard of the free-range pests. But just how far is Mrs. Britin willing to go?
Lemon Street’s Angel of Death is a dark comedy from author Larry D. Thacker. A wry commentary on the interpersonal antics of small town neighborhoods, the story will ring true for anyone who has butted heads with a nuisance neighbor. Lemon Street’s Angel of Death is a work of short fiction. 28 pages.
When Jack announces he has "beaver fever" and needs to find a woman, his sister Suzie reluctantly agrees to be his wingman for a night out in Wheeling, West Virginia. What follows is a darkly comic tour through dive bars and failed pickup attempts, while Suzie grapples with her own complicated relationship to the declining Rust Belt town she never wanted to return to. A chance encounter with Mike, the local brewmaster, offers a glimmer of possibility—but can anyone really escape the gravitational pull of home?
Told with sharp wit and unflinching honesty, Beaver Fever is a story about the places that shape us from writer Robert Long Foreman. Foreman draws on his own experience growing up in Wheeling to create a portrait that's both brutally realistic and deeply compassionate, capturing the complex feelings we have toward the places we're from. Beaver Fever is a work of short fiction. 32 pages.
When Grace encounters the little horse at the market, she feels a connection. She’s come to western China to teach English — as far away from Kentucky as she possibly can get — but something about the horse reminds her of home, and she knows she has to help it. Adopting the horse stirs memories of her former life, and the man she left behind.
Told in a masterful braiding of past and present, Of Love and Water is a story of renewal from writer Elizabeth Burton. Burton brings her personal experience of living in western China to the story, sharing glimpses of Uyghur culture and language. Of Love and Water is a work of short fiction. 32 pages.
What We Believe
Appalachia is home to one of America's great literary traditions.
Its stories deserve thoughtful criticism, careful stewardship, and a wide audience. By preserving older voices and championing new ones, we hope to deepen the conversation about the region and its rich literary culture.
Join Our Literary Community
Whether you're a writer looking to share your Appalachian story, a reader seeking authentic regional literature, or someone who believes in preserving cultural heritage, there's a place for you in our community.