A version of this piece will be published in the Summer 2022 issue of Goldenseal, a print magazine produced by the WV Department of Arts, Culture and History. My name is Jennie Williams, and I’m thrilled to join the West Virginia Humanities Council and direct the West Virginia Folklife Program as the new state folklorist….
Category: Goldenseal Column
The State Folklorist’s Notebook: Ode to the Union, Former UFCW Local 347 President Sterling Ball
The State Folklorist’s Notebook is a regular column written by state folklorist Emily Hilliard for Goldenseal magazine. This article appears in the Summer 2021 issue.
The State Folklorist’s Notebook: “If You want to be a part of Huntington, you need to eat at Jim’s!”
The State Folklorist’s Notebook is a regular column written by state folklorist Emily Hilliard for Goldenseal magazine. This article appears in the Summer 2019 issue.
The State Folklorist’s Notebook: “People need to know about plants”: Herbarist Marion Harless
The State Folklorist’s Notebook is a regular column written by state folklorist Emily Hilliard for Goldenseal magazine. This article appears in the Spring 2019 issue. Some people speak in complete sentences. Marion Harless speaks in entire paragraphs, punctuated by laughter. The first time I went to interview her at her home in Kerens in Randolph County, she…
2018 Master Artist & Apprentice Feature: Doris Fields aka Lady D & Xavier Oglesby, Blues & Black Gospel
Doris Fields aka Lady D, of Beckley, is leading an apprenticeship in blues and black gospel, with Xavier Oglesby of Beckley.
The State Folklorist’s Notebook: A Visit with Frank & Jane George
The State Folklorist’s Notebook is a regular column written by state folklorist Emily Hilliard for Goldenseal Magazine. This article appears in the Spring 2018 issue, a tribute to late West Virginia old-time musician Frank George. It was a chilly afternoon in April 2016 when I made the trip to Walton for an interview with Frank and Jane…
The State Folklorist’s Notebook: “Only limited by the size of the tree and your imagination”: Charles Steven Adams of Martinsburg
The State Folklorist’s Notebook is a regular column written by state folklorist Emily Hilliard for Goldenseal Magazine. This article appears in the Winter 2017 issue. Charles Steven (“Steve”) Adams spent almost 40 years as a social worker dealing, as he says, “with people and their problems.” When he was in his mid-50s and nearing retirement, Steve started carving…
The State Folklorist’s Notebook: Adventures Menu— Sharing Traditional Filipino Food in Parkersburg
State folklorist Emily Hilliard interviews Daniel & Ellen Lubuguin of Philippines Best Food in Parkersburg for her regular column in Goldenseal Magazine.
The State Folklorist’s Notebook: Talking Turkey Calls with Aaron Parsons of Jackson County
State folklorist Emily Hilliard visits turkey call maker Aaron Parsons of Jackson County in her regular column for Goldenseal Magazine.
Ramp Fingerprints
In April, state folklorist Emily Hilliard documented the Helvetia Ramp Supper as part of a year-long oral history project with the Southern Foodways Alliance. She wrote about her experience for the SFA blog, shared here.