Appalachian Folklore and Heritage Writing class planned at New River CTC

woman writing at window

Record stories of the region in a new community education class at New River Community and Technical College. The Appalachian Folklore and Heritage Writing class will be offered on the Nicholas County Campus in Summersville on Thursdays starting Sept. 16, 2021, from 6 to 8 p.m. At the conclusion of the five-week course, participants can receive a bound, hard-back book of the stories written in the class.

“Geographical isolation in the Appalachian Mountains created an area of unsurpassed beauty and a people with a rich cultural history,” explains instructor Barbara Crawford. “Before the advent of highways, formal schooling, medical advancements, the weather channel and certainly the internet, communities had to be attentive to signs of things to come and lessons learned from past occurrences. A need to understand natural phenomenon was woven with the native intelligence of the people from this region that led to a beautiful tapestry often referred to as folklore.”

“The class will collect folklore, indicative to our region, attempt to understand the collected samples and compile these regional treasures into a book. Original artwork, photographs and family anthologies may also be submitted as components of the book,” added Crawford.

Tuition for the class is $100, plus $25 for a copy of the book, and preregistration is required by Sept. 9, 2021.

Visit www.newriver.edu/community for information on upcoming classes or register for the course or contact Gloria Kincaid (304-793-6101, gkincaid@newriver.edu).

New River CTC’s Workforce Education Division provides community education classes and employable educational opportunities including noncredit courses, workforce development programs and customized training.