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Forgotten America: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy
Welcome to Forgotten America, a podcast about the many places that get flown over, driven past, or completely forgotten and the people who call these places home. In each episode, we'll diagnose the unique challenges faced by rural America and unpack and explore the solutions to those challenges. We'll also share the culture, stories, and perspectives of Forgotten Americans from the hilltop to the holler and the desert to the delta.
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- Jan 14, 202547 min
Ep. 090: Waterfolk & the Shaping of America
John Hood is back on the Forgotten America podcast to discuss his latest installment in the Folklore Cycle! Waterfolk takes on the formative period of American history between the 1830s and the 1850s. He shares with Garrett some of the unbelievable historical events and relationships that inspired scenes in his story. He also dives into some of the popular and lesser-known folktales and cryptids that appear throughout the novel. John and Garrett discuss the role restraints play in unleashing creativity, and we even get a sneak peek into the fourth adventure in the Folklore Cycle. Additional Resources Waterfolk: https://folklorecycle.com/ John Hood, President of the John William Pope Foundation, https://jwpf.org/team/john-hood/ Episode 20: Mountain Folk https://forgottenamerica.libsyn.com/ep-020-mountain-folk Episode 48: Forest Folk and the Return of John Hood https://forgottenamerica.libsyn.com/ep-048-forrest-folk-with-john-hood Bud Collyer – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_Collyer Kraken: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kraken Water Panther: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underwater_panther Water Maidens, Welsh: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwragedd_Annwn#:~:text=Gwragedd%20Annwn%2C%20(singular%20Welsh%3A,Teg%20or%20Welsh%20fairy%20folk. Bear Springs, New Mexico: https://bearsprings.wordpress.com/ Monongahela, Monongy https://uppermonriver.org/do-three-legendary-monsters-inhabit-the-monongahela-river/ 1st book favorite character: Nanyehi Nancy Ward, Cherokee woman https://wams.nyhistory.org/settler-colonialism-and-revolution/the-american-revolution/nanyehi-nancy-ward/ 2nd book fav: Real Life Ichabod Crane, https://www.thehistoryreader.com/historical-figures/halloween-story-real-ichabod-crane/ 3rd book fav: Sam Houston, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Houston Garrett Ballengee, Host President & CEO - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer & Audio Editor <span
- Dec 18, 202454 min
Ep. 089: A Connecticut Yankee
Andy Fowler, Communications Specialist for the Yankee Institute, joins us for an episode to discuss Connecticut! Although he wasn't born there, his family has roots in the state that go back to the turn of the 20th century. Garrett & Andy discuss the reputation of Connecticut, its role in the colonial period and the founding of the United States, and the importance of learning about your home state's history. They also joke about the difficulty of pinning down a defining stereotype for people from Connecticut. If you enjoy pizza, the colonial period, or Gilmore Girls, you'll enjoy hearing about the Nutmeg State. Additional Resources: Nutmeggers: nickname for people from Connecticut Learn more about Andrew's work at the Yankee Institute here: https://yankeeinstitute.org/author/andrewfowler/ Hidden in the Oak: https://yankeeinstitute.org/category/hidden-in-the-oak/ Andrew Fowler: @afowlxc on Twitter Milford, CT: https://www.ci.milford.ct.us/ Waterbury, CT: https://www.waterburyct.org/ Hartford, CT: https://www.hartfordct.gov/Home Mystic Pizza https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystic_Pizza Gilmore Girls: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilmore_Girls Fairfield County: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairfield_County,_Connecticut Griswold Inn in Essex: https://griswoldinn.com/ (George Washington visited there.) Silas Deane: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silas_Deane Yale: https://www.yale.edu/ New Haven: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Haven,_Connecticut Yukon Huskies: https://uconnhuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball Connecticut Compromise: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Connecticut-Compromise New England: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England More information about the lack of county governments in Connecticut: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2015/rpt/2015-R-0274.htm Connecticut's Nicknames: https://portal.ct.gov/csl/research/state-nicknames?language=en_US or https://connecticuthistory.org/the-storied-history-behind-connecticuts-nicknames/ Does Connecticut even have its own accent? https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/the-connecticut-accent-or-does-connecticut-even-have-one/ or https://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/05/nyregion/accent-what-accent.html New Haven style pizza: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Haven%E2%80%93style_pizza The Stepford Wives: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stepford_Wives The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art: oldest art museum in the US https://www.thewadsworth.org/ Nathan Hale: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Hale Roger Sherman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Sherman</
- Dec 3, 202449 min
Ep. 088: Fishing, Zydeco, Jambalaya, and the Pelican State
Clayton Rasche is a first-generation Louisianan who adores his home state. He joins Garrett on this episode of the Forgotten America podcast to share about the incredibly rich culture of Louisiana. The Pelican State has deep French roots which can be seen in everything from the architecture to the political system to the food. We learn a little bit about the differences between Cajun and Creole culture and about the variety of small and large cities to explore. If you enjoy music, soulful food, and nature, you'll love this exploration of Louisiana through Clayton's eyes. Additional Resources Grand Isle, Louisiana https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Isle,_Louisiana Louisiana State Symbols https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/louisiana/state-nickname/pelican-state Zydeco music: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zydeco Buckwheat Zydeco: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckwheat_Zydeco Lana Del Rey & her husband: https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a62103404/who-is-lana-del-rey-boyfriend-jeremy-dufrene/ Parishes instead of Counties: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_parishes_in_Louisiana Cajun: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cajuns Creole: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Creole_people Some history and differences between Cajun & Creole culture and meaning: https://www.hnoc.org/publications/first-draft/whats-difference-between-cajun-and-creole-or-there-one Mandeville, Louisiana: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandeville,_Louisiana True Detective: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2790174/ Liz's Where Ya At Diner: https://lizswhereyatdiner.com/ Baton Rouge: https://www.visitbatonrouge.com/listing/louisiana-state-capitol/238/ Tiki Bar in New Orleans: https://latitude29nola.com/ Beach Bum Berry's Latitude 29: https://latitude29nola.com/ Follow Clayton on Social Media Instagram @claytonrasche Facebook /claytonrasche/ Garrett Ballengee, Host President & CEO - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy <span class= "author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zgdz68zmqkz84zo2qowz80ziz71zaik7az68z60z67zz68zc0pz
- Nov 19, 202449 min
Ep. 087: Our Liberties We Prize: Life in the Hawkeye State
Chris Ingstad is the President of Iowans for Tax Relief Foundation and an 8th generation Iowan. He joins the Forgotten America podcast to discuss life in Iowa. Chris explains why he hasn't seriously considered leaving the state despite its harsh winters, and he talks about the food, culture, economy, and heritage of the Hawkeye state. Additional Resources Follow Chris's work at Iowans for Taxpayer Relief Foundation: https://itrfoundation.org/staff/ Grant Wood and American Gothic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Wood University of Iowa Writer's Workshop: https://writersworkshop.uiowa.edu/ Field of Dreams: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097351/ "Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain." - Iowa State Motto https://publications.iowa.gov/135/1/profile/8-1.html#:~:text=On%20the%20white%20center%20stripe,in%20red%20below%20the%20streamers Okoboji, Iowa https://vacationokoboji.com/ Garrett Ballengee, Host President & CEO - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer Vice President of Communications & Strategy - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Nate Phipps, Edit<span class="author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zgdz68zmqkz84zo2qowz80
- Nov 2, 20242h 15m
Ep. 086: Top Horror Films Set in Rural America
For this Halloween Special, Lyndsey Quinlan, Digital Marketing Associate for the Cardinal Institute, and Jessica Dobrinsky, Staff Writer for the Cardinal Institute, join Garrett Ballengee to discuss horror films set in rural locations. They share their favorites and explore themes of folklore, rural horror, and hicksploitation. They also take a deep dive into what makes a good horror film and look at literary themes, the power of music and lighting in film, human psychology analyzed through film, and some history behind scary movie genres. If you enjoy horror films, and even if you don't, you'll enjoy this riveting discussion of top horror films set in rural America. Follow Jessica & Lyndsey Follow Jessica Dobrinsky on Twitter https://x.com/jldobrinsky Follow Lyndsey Quinlan on Twitter https://x.com/its_Lynds_ Films Discussed Night of the Hunter Night of the Living Dead Texas Chainsaw Massacre Children of the Corn Evil Dead 2 Sleepy Hollow The Blair Witch Project The Witch Additional Resources & Mentions Nightmare Before Christmas - film Hicksploitation – theme/trope Film Noir - genre Harry Powers – serial killer West Virginia Penitentiary a.k.a. Moundsville Penitentiary Horror Film - genre Leaning on the Everlasting Arms – Hymn Once Upon a Time There Was a Pretty Fly – Song White Zombie – film Slasher – genre Head Cheese – food Video nasty – type of film Stephen King – author Carrie – novel Comedy Horror – genre The Evil Dead – film Necronomicon Ex Mortis – fictional book from a film Ash vs. Evil Dead – TV show Sam Raimi – film director Bruce Campbell – actor and producer The Legend of Sleepy Hollow – book <a href= "https://www.imdb.com/list/ls0227501
- Oct 29, 202434 min
Ep. 085: Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery Part 2
Emma Ayers, a native of East Tennessee and Religion & Culture Writer with the Washington Times, joins us today for the second half of our discussion of Hurricane Helene disaster recovery. She shares her perspective on the culture, economy, and people of East Tennessee and how they are responding to the unprecedented natural disaster of Hurricane Helene. She also shares a little about mule trains and other non-traditional ways that Appalachians are helping each other in their time of need. Additional Resources: East Tennessee Hurricane Helene Recovery Resources: https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2024/10/10/east-tennessee-flooding-rescues-resources-hurricane-helene-relief/75608482007/ Tennessee Disaster Recovery Map: https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/projects-region-1/hurricane-helene-recovery.html Barstool Conservatism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barstool_conservatism Mule Trains: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/sep/30/north-carolina-residents-use-mule-trains-to-delive/ Social Trust: https://www.socialcapitalresearch.com/trust-and-trustworthiness/ Follow Emma's work at the Washington Times: www.washingtontimes.com Ways to Donate & Support: Samaritan's Purse: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/disaster/hurricane-helene/ Look for actual individuals who live in the area who are looking for help on the ground. Garrett Ballengee, Host President & CEO - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer Vice President of Communications & Strategy - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Nate Phipps, Editor & Producer - @Aviv5753 Follow: YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram Support: Donate, Newsletter
- Oct 22, 202433 min
Ep. 084: Hurricane Helene Disaster Recovery Part 1
(We had some unusual technical difficulties when recording this episode. So please forgive any choppiness that may result – we did what we could to edit it as smoothly as possible.) Brooke Medina, Vice President of Communications for the John Locke Foundation, joins Garrett Ballengee to discuss the impact of Hurricane Helene on Western North Carolina and how these Appalachian communities are responding to this unprecedented disaster. Additional Resources: John Locke Foundation: https://www.johnlocke.org/about/team/brooke-medina/ Samaritan's Purse: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/disaster/hurricane-helene/ Baptists on Mission: https://baptistsonmission.org/ Cajun Navy: https://www.cajunnavyrelief.com/ Donate to Hurricane Helene Refief: https://www.johnlocke.org/help-support-hurricane-helene-relief-efforts-in-western-nc/ Shop to Support Relief Efforts: https://johnlockestore.com/collections/restore-western-nc Carolina Journal: https://www.carolinajournal.com/ Hurricane Helene: https://www.axios.com/2024/10/04/hurricane-helene-deadliest-us-storms-death-toll Garrett Ballengee, Host President & CEO - @gballeng Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Amanda Kieffer, Executive Producer Vice President of Communications & Strategy - @akieffer13 Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy Nate Phipps<
- Sep 24, 20241h 3m
Ep. 083: Are there any Scandinavians Lefse in Minnesota?
Shawn Peterson, President of Catholic Education Partners and long-time resident of Minnesota, joins this episode of the Forgotten America podcast to weigh in on the selection of Tim Walz as the Democratic VP nominee. He also shares about the political history of Minnesota and its cultural history and shifts. If you're curious about the Upper Midwest and its Scandinavian roots, Garrett's discussion with Shawn will be enlightening. Mentioned in this Episode: Red Wing boots from Minnesota https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Borlaug Minnesota Iron Range: beautiful old towns up there that have fallen into disrepair, very hard-working salt of the earth people https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cass_Gilbert Norwegian Lefse https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/18082/norwegian-lefse/ Catholic Education Partners https://catholiced.us/ <v:line id="Straight_x0020_Connector_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" style='position:absolute;flip:y;z-index:251659264; visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt; mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt; mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:left; mso-position-horizontal-relative:margin;mso-position-vertical:absolute; mso-position-vertical-relative:text' from="0,6.65pt" to="476.5pt,8.15pt" o:gfxdata="UEsDBBQABgAIAAAAIQC75UiUBQEAAB4CAAATAAAAW0NvbnRlbnRfVHlwZXNdLnhtbKSRvU7DMBSF dyTewfKKEqcMCKEmHfgZgaE8wMW+SSwc27JvS/v23KTJgkoXFsu+P+c7Ol5vDoMTe0zZBl/LVVlJ gV4HY31Xy4/tS3EvRSbwBlzwWMsjZrlprq/W22PELHjb51r2RPFBqax7HCCXIaLnThvSAMTP1KkI +gs6VLdVdad08ISeCho1ZLN+whZ2jsTzgcsnJwldluLxNDiyagkxOquB2Knae/OLUsyEkjenmdzb mG/YhlRnCWPnb8C898bRJGtQvEOiVxjYhtLOxs8AySiT4JuDystlVV4WPeM6tK3VaILeDZxIOSsu ti/jidNGNZ3/J08yC1dNv9v8AAAA//8DAFBLAwQUAAYACAAAACEArTA/8cEAAAAyAQAACwAAAF9y ZWxzLy5yZWxzhI/NCsIwEITvgu8Q9m7TehCRpr2I4FX0AdZk2wbbJGTj39ubi6AgeJtl2G9m6vYx jeJGka13CqqiBEFOe2Ndr+B03C3WIDihMzh6RwqexNA281l9oBFTfuLBBhaZ4ljBkFLYSMl6oAm5 8IFcdjofJ0z5jL0MqC/Yk1yW5UrGTwY0X0yxNwri3lQgjs+Qk/+zfddZTVuvrxO59CNCmoj3vCwj MfaUFOjRhrPHaN4Wv0VV5OYgm1p+LW1eAAAA//8DAFBLAwQUAAYACAAAACEAC0utAMMBAABYBAAA HwAAAGNsaXBib2FyZC9kcmF3aW5ncy9kcmF3aW5nMS54bWykVE2P0zAQvSPxHyzf2STdttBo0z0U 2AuCFQXuI8dOLJxxZJuQ/nvGTvqhClWCvY3j9968N7bz8Dh2hg3SeW2x4sVdzplEYWuNTcW/f/v4 5h1nPgDWYCzKih+k54/b168eoGwc9K0WjBTQl1DxNoS+zDIvWtmBv7O9RNpT1nUQaOmarHbwm5Q7 ky3yfJ11oJFvz1LvIQD75fR/SBkrfsp6BziAJ0kjyssvs0cjXq4MJQ5Prt/3zy46F5+HZ8d0XXGa HEJHI+LZvDHDaJldsZqzwKhcF/FWKTZWfFMslzlJHSq+ul+u31Kd5OQYmKD9db4qVisCCEIUm5zK qV375baAaD/clCCLkxUqLuyJEfd99IfDLpbXqRfF/brYLDYbuidT/H1woJs2sJ1FlCJYx4rTSGaN 40guJP0sHU0wZXT/g/Kly/GiyZxiQdk7H56k7VgsKm40yqQPwycfJkdHSDqxoyMfDkbGERj8KhWd NR3D5CzddLkzjg1gKg5CSAwpLLVN6EhT2pgTMU8tbxJnfKRKpWiC/0I+MVJni2dyp9G6v3UP49Gy mvBT+ik1BZmvQHb1phJq/gfEh3u53v4BAAD//wMAUEsDBBQABgAIAAAAIQBQP6LLGgcAAE0gAAAa AAAAY2xpcGJvYXJkL3RoZW1lL3RoZW1lMS54bWzsWktvGzcQvhfofyD23liSJdkyIgeWLcdN/EKk pMiRkqhdxtzlgqTs6FYkp14KFEiLXgr01kNRNEADNOilP8ZAgjb9ER1yHyIlKn4gQIPCNmDszn4z HM7MzswOffvO05ihUyIk5Uk7qN6qBIgkQz6iSdgOHvZ3P1sPkFQ4GWHGE9IOpkQGdzY//eQ23hgy mg44FqN+RGKCQFAiN3A7iJRKN1ZW5BDIWN7iKUng2ZiLGCu4FeHKSOAzWCBmK7VKpbkSY5oEmyBR aUFdBn8SJTVhyERPiyEowTGsfjQe0yEx2NFJVSPkVG4zgU4xawcgc8TP+uSpChDDUsGDdlAxP8HK 5u0VvJEzMbWE1+LbNT85X84wOqmZNUU4KBetdGvr9Wop3wCYWsR11/VvKc8A8HAIO810sWVWG83K ei3HWqDs0iO7tVZddfGW/NUFnautZqdWd+QbUCa/voCv7La6Ow0Hb0AZvrGA36rUOq1VB29AGb65 gK93t9ZqXQdvQBGjyckiurm2vt7M0SVkzNmeF95qNitrOzl8hoJoKKNLLzHmiVoWazF+wsUuADSQ YUUTpKYpGeMhxORWqrhEO1SmDE8DlOKESyBXatUqhF69Uit/jcXxBsEWt9YLNJELJK0PkkNBU9UO 7oHUwIK8ef36/Nmr82e/nz9/fv7sV7RPw0hlohy+PZyENt+7n77554cv0d+//fjuxbd+vLTxb3/5 6u0ff75PPLxqM1O8+e7l21cv33z/9V8/v/BI3xJ4YMP7NCYSHZIz9IDHsEFjCld/MhBX4+hHmNoc W0kocYL1Kh75XRU56MMpZtiD6xDXjo8EpBof8O7kiaNwLxITRT0S70exAzzgnHW48Frhvl7LMnN/ koT+xcXExj3A+NS39jZOHC93JynkWOoTuR0RR81jhhOFQ5IQhfQzfkKIZ3ePKXXsekCHgks+Vugx RR1MvSbp04ETTTOmPRqDX6Y+BcHfjm0OHqEOZ75d75BTFwnvBmYe5fuEOWa8iycKxz6RfRwz2+D7 WEU+JXtTMbRxXanA0yFhHHVHREofz5GA/VpOv48hu3ndfsCmsYsUip74ZO5jzm3kDj/ZjnCc+rA9 mkQ29nN5AiGK0TFXPvgBd98QfQ9+wMlSdz+ixHH3xdngIWQ5W6VZgOgnE+Hx5V3CnfjtTdkYE1+q 2RKxk2K3BPVGR2cSOqG9TwjDZ3hECHr4uUeDDk8dm8+UvhdBVtkjvsC6h91Y1fcJkQSZ5mYxT+5T 6YRsj4R8iT4H07nEM8VJjMUyyYfgddvm3YGAl9GzzyM2PLGBhxT6PYgXr1GOJMiwgnup1OMIOwVM 30t/vE6F47/LvGPwXj5x1LjEewk85Mo8kNhtnvfapo+Zs8AsYPqYon1fugUWx/0zFl1cDdvEyzd2 X9qZG6A7cpqemCYXdED/TefjCcQP0/P4BTsJ64rdzrKEsjfX4yzDzXc221yM6Mff2OzgSXJMoJYs Zq2bvuamrwn+933Nsvf5pptZ1nPcdDMBdBk33Uw+YPkw3cysgYHeRg8ZsmGPGf3ESyc/Y8pYT00Z 2Zdm+CPhm2a0C0TNZyacpJwEphFc6jIHCzi4UGDDgwRXX1AV9SKcwoSoGmghocxFhxKlXMLgyJC9 sjWeT
About Forgotten America
Welcome to Forgotten America, a podcast about the many places that get flown over, driven past, or completely forgotten and the people who call these places home. In each episode, we'll diagnose the unique challenges faced by rural America and unpack and explore the solutions to those challenges. We'll also share the culture, stories, and perspectives of Forgotten Americans from the hilltop to the holler and the desert to the delta.
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