Appalachia As A Bellwether For The Country

The challenges that the Appalachian region faces aren’t just Appalachian problems; they're American problems. Those problems include addiction, poor health outcomes and the need for communities to make a transition from fossil fuel extraction, and they will largely determine whether we, as a nation, can meet challenges of inequality, climate change and economic recovery. Far from being a backwater, Appalachia is a bellwether for the country. This week is the debut of Louisville Public Media's very first book, "Appalachian Fall," written by Jeff Young, Managing Editor of the Ohio Valley ReSource collaboration, and the rest of that reporting team. The book is a collection of the reporting this team has done on the future of Appalachia — from the Blackjewel coal miners blocking the train tracks in Harlan County to people on the front lines of the opioid crisis and others fighting for a just economic transition for coal country. Kirkus Reviews says the book is: "Blunt, essential reading on today's Appalachia that is less elegiac and more forward-thinking than most." This week we talk to Jeff Young, and reporters Brittany Patterson, who covers energy and environment, and Sydney Boles, who covers economic transition in Appalachia. Donate to support this and future episodes of In Conversation.