The Burial Ground in the Woods

The Talking Appalachian Podcast

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What secrets does a 19th century burial ground hold, when the stones have no words or dates, and family folklore says they belonged to enslaved people? In this episode, I'm joined by William Isom II of Black in Appalachia, my co-researcher on this burial ground project for the past ten years. For almost two centuries, gravestones with no inscriptions have huddled in the woods on my family's land, covered in graveyard ivy. From a death portrait to a woven coverlet to ground penetrating radar that revealed the remains, we slowly pieced together their story as we asked the questions: Who were they? Is the family story true? And listen as Will narrates an incredible discovery.
Join us on Patreon for the full account, an essay narrated by Amy. Previously titled "The Rocks," it garnered honorable mention in 2016's Best American Essays, edited by Jonathon Franzen and won the 2014 Lamar York Prize for Nonfiction.
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Unless another artist is featured, acoustic music on most episodes: "Steam Train" written by Elizabeth Cotten and performed by Landon Spain

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1. The Burial Ground in the Woods (00:00:00)

2. [Ad] Muein Mystery School Adventures (00:11:09)

3. (Cont.) The Burial Ground in the Woods (00:11:56)