Read along as we explore Appalachia and magical realism through two Kentucky texts: the novel, A Woman in Time and the videogame, Kentucky Route Zero.
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I entered In Search of Appalachia with excitement at the prospect of reading about Appalachia by an Appalachian, rather than through the eyes of outsiders, as is so often the case in media, who typically present Appalachia as a backward and dirty place— one characterized by lacking, rather than a destination draped in rich culture. But I left In Search of Appalachia with a furrowed brow, disappointed in the missed opportunity of really grappling with our history as colonizers on the frontier.
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This month, I spoke with the owners and staff at two bookstores— Dudley’s Bookshop Cafe in my current home of Bend, Oregon and Union Ave Books in my childhood home of Knoxville, Tennessee. I wanted to hear success stories and learn the ins and outs of how to start and run a bookstore. I’ve created a super informal “How-to Guide,” compiled at the end of this piece for all of you out there who have wanted to open your own slice of book-heaven, but did not know where to begin. And, above all else, I spent this time researching, talking, and writing to highlight exactly how bookstores flourish: by supporting and having support in their community.
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