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Travels with Foxfire: Stories of People, Passions, and Practices from Southern Appalachia
Since 1972, the Foxfire books have preserved and celebrated the culture of Southern Appalachia for hundreds of thousands of readers. In Travels with Foxfire , native son Phil Hudgins and Foxfire student Jessica Phillips travel from Georgia to the Carolinas, Tennessee to Kentucky, collecting the stories of the men and women who call the region home.
Across more than thirty essays, we discover the secret origins of stock car racing, the story behind the formation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the vanishing art of gathering wild ginseng, and the recipes of an award-winning cookbook writer. We meet bootleggers and bear hunters, game wardens and medicine women, water dowsers, sculptors, folk singers, novelists, record collectors, and home cooks—even the world’s foremost “priviologist”—all with tales to tell.
A rich compendium of the collected wisdom of artists, craftsmen, musicians, and moonshiners, Travels with Foxfire is a joyful tribute to the history, the geography, and the traditions that define Appalachian living.
Across more than thirty essays, we discover the secret origins of stock car racing, the story behind the formation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the vanishing art of gathering wild ginseng, and the recipes of an award-winning cookbook writer. We meet bootleggers and bear hunters, game wardens and medicine women, water dowsers, sculptors, folk singers, novelists, record collectors, and home cooks—even the world’s foremost “priviologist”—all with tales to tell.
A rich compendium of the collected wisdom of artists, craftsmen, musicians, and moonshiners, Travels with Foxfire is a joyful tribute to the history, the geography, and the traditions that define Appalachian living.
336 pages, Paperback
Published August 14, 2018
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311 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
July 4, 2021
This was a good read of short tales, recipes and interviews about people who grew up in southern Appalachia between the 1880 and middle part of the 1900s. Even though it's not a part of the country that gets a lot of attention and there's no big cities to speak of (Greensville, GA seems to keep popping up) there's a lot going on. It talks about what life was like day to day for just regular folks.
March 10, 2021
Travels with Foxfire is a motley collection of interviews, recipes, folk histories, and hunting stories from southern Appalachia. It’s a buffet of Appalachian culture, you might say: a chapter on the moonshine-running origins of NASCAR is followed by tales of old bear hunts, and then recipes of so-and-so’s old-fashioned country cooking followed up by a history of Appalachian folk music — “Old Time” music, not bluegrass or country. It’s like a Rick Bragg notebook, almost, with lots of the raw material of the kind that one sees worked into his own books. There’s a little witticism on the back of Log Cabin Pioneers, a similar work I’ll be reading soon enough, that says “For them’s that likes this sort of thing, this is the sort of thing they will like”. It’s absurd, but true when applied to a book like this: it has immense appeal for those interested in Appalachian culture, who don’t need a central narrative to guide them through the whole thing. I was particularly interested in the old-time music, and had no idea that popular singers of the mid-20th century had adopted several folk tunes and turned them into copyrighted commercial hits, from Bob Dylan to the Kingston Trio.
December 31, 2024
A captivating collection of short stories from the Foxfire Museum that delves into the rich culture of Appalachia. Covering a wide range of topics—from food and music to medicine and more—Foxfire provides a holistic view of the lives of those who have inhabited these mountains for centuries. The stories are both informative and heartfelt, offering a window into the resilience and creativity of Appalachian communities. Whether you're planning a visit to the region or simply have an interest in its heritage, this book offers an excellent opportunity to deepen your appreciation for the Appalachian way of life. If you ever find yourself nearby, don't miss the chance to visit the Foxfire Museum!
September 16, 2018
Although the book is copyrighted by the Foxfire Foundation (which also receives the profits from sales), the lead writer is Phil Hudgins, who expands the original, familiar Foxfire corpus with interviews of southern Appalachian practitioners of such traditional folkways as water dowsing, herb doctoring, native American relic hunting, mule driving, banjo playing, moonshine smuggling, and biscuit-and-pie cooking (isn't that everything?).
But Hudgins -- a native of north Georgia Appalachia and a veteran newspaper man in the area -- pushes the boundaries of the genre with entries on African-Americans and on the careers of idiosyncratic individuals whose lives took them far beyond the ephemeral practices we associate with folk culture.
One of these is Micajah Dyer, a 19th century Georgia farmer-inventor who designed a functioning flying machine that his descendents say beat the Wright brothers to the punch of human flight -- although the article makes it sound like more of a dirigible device, and is otherwise too chary with details to allow for any real conclusions as to what, technically, the thing was.
Another example is Hedy West, a native of Cartersville, GA, who was by all accounts an amazing musician "who could play practically anything she picked up" with an international career as a folksong performer and songwriter. Entitled "Grounded in Folk Tradition," the chapter serves to chronicle the life of a person whom the region could not contain. At one point she moved to Germany (not long after World War II) and made her living in part by translating American folk songs into German and performing them. As a musical innovator, she is described as playing her banjo in one key and then singing a third higher -- this needs more explanation, but as a method "discovered with the help of a prominent researcher of ethnic music," it sounds a lot more like Bela Bartok's "Concerto for Orchestra" than "Foggy Mountain Breakdown."
She is my favorite for the simple and coincidental reason that her father Don West was a co-founder with Myles Horton of the Highlander Folk School on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee, and I've been reading a lot lately about that school and the socio-political experiment it represents. If there's a tradition Hedy West continued, it wasn't so much a regional tradition of doing things the same way as they've "always" been done as it was a family tradition of taking those things as a starting point and branching out in ways both big and radical.
But Hudgins -- a native of north Georgia Appalachia and a veteran newspaper man in the area -- pushes the boundaries of the genre with entries on African-Americans and on the careers of idiosyncratic individuals whose lives took them far beyond the ephemeral practices we associate with folk culture.
One of these is Micajah Dyer, a 19th century Georgia farmer-inventor who designed a functioning flying machine that his descendents say beat the Wright brothers to the punch of human flight -- although the article makes it sound like more of a dirigible device, and is otherwise too chary with details to allow for any real conclusions as to what, technically, the thing was.
Another example is Hedy West, a native of Cartersville, GA, who was by all accounts an amazing musician "who could play practically anything she picked up" with an international career as a folksong performer and songwriter. Entitled "Grounded in Folk Tradition," the chapter serves to chronicle the life of a person whom the region could not contain. At one point she moved to Germany (not long after World War II) and made her living in part by translating American folk songs into German and performing them. As a musical innovator, she is described as playing her banjo in one key and then singing a third higher -- this needs more explanation, but as a method "discovered with the help of a prominent researcher of ethnic music," it sounds a lot more like Bela Bartok's "Concerto for Orchestra" than "Foggy Mountain Breakdown."
She is my favorite for the simple and coincidental reason that her father Don West was a co-founder with Myles Horton of the Highlander Folk School on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee, and I've been reading a lot lately about that school and the socio-political experiment it represents. If there's a tradition Hedy West continued, it wasn't so much a regional tradition of doing things the same way as they've "always" been done as it was a family tradition of taking those things as a starting point and branching out in ways both big and radical.
August 18, 2018
Although I knew of the Foxfire Fund, I have never read any of their earlier publications. However, I love reading oral histories, and as an craftsperson who loves all sorts of traditional handcrafts such as basketmaking, spinning and knitting and jewelry making, I am always interested in reading about people who continue traditions that have been handed down through generations.
I enjoyed reading each of the stories in this book, but overall, I found the entire book somewhat disappointing because it felt too much as if each was barely skimming the surface of each person’s story. I have recently been watching the Netflix television show “Queer Eye,” and in an odd way, this has given me an insight into what seems to be missing from Travels with Foxfire.
I had heard quite a bit about the rebooted television show, and how the new series was consistently quite moving. Now that I have watched quite a few episodes, I understand why. The five stars of the show are gay men, who spend a week with a person who has been nominated to receive a makeover, by a friend or loved one. The makeover includes advice and support regarding fashion, hair and skin care, cooking, home improvement and “culture,” all provided within a one week period.
The show is filmed over the course of the week, and edited into a 45 minute episode. Obviously, viewers are only seeing a very small percentage of the interactions between the show’s stars and their nominee during that week, but what has become apparent is how much these men really strive to understand and respect the person they have met that week, and how each experience is truly emotionally valuable for both the person receiving the makeover, and for the stars of the show. They strive to understand the reasons each person has become someone in need of a makeover, and their work is always focused on helping resolve those underlying issues, not just making external, cosmetic changes.
And that focus is what I felt was missing from Foxfire. Each of the chapters introduced the reader to an intriguing person, but I felt as if I really only understood the most superficial elements of that person by the end of their chapter. I think I would have enjoyed it more if there had been fewer people highlighted in the book, and a more in-depth examination was made of each of the subjects so that I felt as if I knew each of them better by the end of their chapter.
I received an advanced reading copy from Foxfire Fund via NetGalley. Thanks!
I enjoyed reading each of the stories in this book, but overall, I found the entire book somewhat disappointing because it felt too much as if each was barely skimming the surface of each person’s story. I have recently been watching the Netflix television show “Queer Eye,” and in an odd way, this has given me an insight into what seems to be missing from Travels with Foxfire.
I had heard quite a bit about the rebooted television show, and how the new series was consistently quite moving. Now that I have watched quite a few episodes, I understand why. The five stars of the show are gay men, who spend a week with a person who has been nominated to receive a makeover, by a friend or loved one. The makeover includes advice and support regarding fashion, hair and skin care, cooking, home improvement and “culture,” all provided within a one week period.
The show is filmed over the course of the week, and edited into a 45 minute episode. Obviously, viewers are only seeing a very small percentage of the interactions between the show’s stars and their nominee during that week, but what has become apparent is how much these men really strive to understand and respect the person they have met that week, and how each experience is truly emotionally valuable for both the person receiving the makeover, and for the stars of the show. They strive to understand the reasons each person has become someone in need of a makeover, and their work is always focused on helping resolve those underlying issues, not just making external, cosmetic changes.
And that focus is what I felt was missing from Foxfire. Each of the chapters introduced the reader to an intriguing person, but I felt as if I really only understood the most superficial elements of that person by the end of their chapter. I think I would have enjoyed it more if there had been fewer people highlighted in the book, and a more in-depth examination was made of each of the subjects so that I felt as if I knew each of them better by the end of their chapter.
I received an advanced reading copy from Foxfire Fund via NetGalley. Thanks!
May 24, 2018
This book is a collection of interviews with people who live in the Appalachia region. Most of these people were in their 60s or 70s, though some were younger. We're given a short biography of their life plus some stories they shared about a certain topic. The speaker often assumed that the reader was already familiar with what they were talking about. For example, the Southern Gospel performers never really explained what that type of music was, they just debated if its popularity was waning and told some funny stories from their performances. This book is more for people who want to reminisce about "You remember when...?" than for people interested in learning details about how people used to live.
The book included some people with odd hobbies, successful authors (including cookbook authors), hunters, herbal gatherers, artists, singers/writers, and people who had been involved in moonshine production, stock car racing, drive-in movie theaters, and water dowsing. Overall, the stories were interesting and amusing, but I'd hoped for something a bit more informative.
I received an ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
The book included some people with odd hobbies, successful authors (including cookbook authors), hunters, herbal gatherers, artists, singers/writers, and people who had been involved in moonshine production, stock car racing, drive-in movie theaters, and water dowsing. Overall, the stories were interesting and amusing, but I'd hoped for something a bit more informative.
I received an ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
November 7, 2018
I randomly picked this book up from the library in preparation for my ill-fated Smokies trip: I wanted to get a better sense of the people and culture in Southern Appalachia, and Foxfire's most recent book seemed like an excellent way to go.
Each relatively short chapter contains an oral history of a person or cultural aspect of Southern Appalachia, some good, some excellent, some dull, and some having little to do with Southern Appalachia. I enjoyed learning about bear hunting, Southern Gospel and shape notes, and water dowsing. A lot of the vignettes felt half-baked, like I was reading a portion of a more detailed chapter. I had to look up (or ask my husband for anything musical) a fair amount that wasn't explained. Points to Foxfire for a self-directed education, I suppose, but negative points to the editorial board for not pushing for more detail.
I'm so bummed that we drove *right past* Foxfire 3 years ago on our way to Asheville. I definitely plan to stop by the next time I'm in the area.
Each relatively short chapter contains an oral history of a person or cultural aspect of Southern Appalachia, some good, some excellent, some dull, and some having little to do with Southern Appalachia. I enjoyed learning about bear hunting, Southern Gospel and shape notes, and water dowsing. A lot of the vignettes felt half-baked, like I was reading a portion of a more detailed chapter. I had to look up (or ask my husband for anything musical) a fair amount that wasn't explained. Points to Foxfire for a self-directed education, I suppose, but negative points to the editorial board for not pushing for more detail.
I'm so bummed that we drove *right past* Foxfire 3 years ago on our way to Asheville. I definitely plan to stop by the next time I'm in the area.
August 27, 2018
'Travels With Foxfire' is a lovely addition to the Foxfire series of books. I've been reading the Foxfire books over and over since the very first editions came out in the early seventies. Since I lived my early years not that far from the Appalachian Mountains, it was like going home reading these stories.
'Travels With Foxfire' spends most of the book recounting the lives of different people that had and still have made a difference in this region's history. This is so important since without this effort, much of this history could be lost.
Reading the story of Dori Sanders was like sitting down and reminiscing with an old neighbor. I can't wait to try some of her her recipes.Learning about the history of Southern Appalachian music was fun too.
If you love to read about the history and culture of people and places, this is the book for you. And after you are finished with this book, go back to the first Foxfire books and get those as well. You will not only have a great time reading, but will be also helping to preserve the oral history and culture of our country.
'Travels With Foxfire' spends most of the book recounting the lives of different people that had and still have made a difference in this region's history. This is so important since without this effort, much of this history could be lost.
Reading the story of Dori Sanders was like sitting down and reminiscing with an old neighbor. I can't wait to try some of her her recipes.Learning about the history of Southern Appalachian music was fun too.
If you love to read about the history and culture of people and places, this is the book for you. And after you are finished with this book, go back to the first Foxfire books and get those as well. You will not only have a great time reading, but will be also helping to preserve the oral history and culture of our country.
August 8, 2018
“Travels with Foxfire” is the latest in the series that had its beginning back in 1966 when the high school English class at the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee school in northeast Georgia began a magazine about the mountain ways and culture of southern Appalachia. This latest book, written by Phil Hudgins with assistance from Foxfire student Jessica Phillips, follows the author as he travels southern Appalachia interviewing colorful characters. The more than 30 interviews include such topics as; farming, logging, hunting, stock car racing, moonshining,outhouses, drive-in theatres, food and various forms of the music of the region. Cooking enthusiasts will enjoy the numerous recipes reprinted from southern Appalachian cookbooks.
August 22, 2018
From Netgalley for Review:
I grew up reading my mom's Foxfire books, it was the thing to read if you were into naturalism/survivalism and lived in the south. We did not quite live in Appalachia, but we lived on the edge and visited it quite a bit to see family, so reading these stories about the people from this region keeping a way of life alive was nostalgic. The original books were more instruction with stories scattered about, Travels with Foxfire is more the opposite, so while it was very much so a walk down memory lane, I found myself missing the original series. If you want to learn more about the people that live in Appalachia or that was your favorite part of the OG series, definitely give this book a read, and definitely give the old series a read, it is a treasure!
I grew up reading my mom's Foxfire books, it was the thing to read if you were into naturalism/survivalism and lived in the south. We did not quite live in Appalachia, but we lived on the edge and visited it quite a bit to see family, so reading these stories about the people from this region keeping a way of life alive was nostalgic. The original books were more instruction with stories scattered about, Travels with Foxfire is more the opposite, so while it was very much so a walk down memory lane, I found myself missing the original series. If you want to learn more about the people that live in Appalachia or that was your favorite part of the OG series, definitely give this book a read, and definitely give the old series a read, it is a treasure!
August 9, 2019
An entertaining collection of short stories about what life used to be like and still is today in the Southern Appalachian mountains. The subtitle sums it up well, "Stories of people, passions, and practices from Southern Appalachia." The stories are divided into topical sections - my favorite section title was "food fit to eat." The stories cover everything from famous people like author and farmer Dori Sanders to unknown, but interesting folks. While the stories were very interesting reading a book like this makes you realize how much of the "old ways" are being lost or could be lost in the next several years. But that's the point of Foxfire to capture and record these "old ways" and stories for posterity.
June 1, 2018
If you are a fan of Foxfire you may enjoy this one. I have collected the Foxfire books since the early 70's and have enjoyed reading and re-reading them over the years. Great how-to books! This one isn't quite what the earlier ones were, but Appalachia has changed over the years, nothing stays the same. Much of the older culture is gone now, along with it's people. Still, even with all of the changes, it's interesting to read about the changes and learn how somethings have stayed the same.
I received a Kindle ARC in exchange for a fair review from Netgalley.
I received a Kindle ARC in exchange for a fair review from Netgalley.
October 21, 2024
Travels with Foxfire offers a dynamic, attractive portrait of life in Southern Appalachia. This book spins tales of moonshine, bear-hunting, homemade biscuits, and good old-fashioned Southern Gospel music. Truly, it is a merry collection of stories.
This book was highly entertaining and simply warmed my heart. It truly capture a way of life and the culture of the people Hudgins writes about shines through. It gave me a great appreciation for an area of the United States I've never even visited. The recipes included in the cooking section were also very helpful!
This book was highly entertaining and simply warmed my heart. It truly capture a way of life and the culture of the people Hudgins writes about shines through. It gave me a great appreciation for an area of the United States I've never even visited. The recipes included in the cooking section were also very helpful!
July 14, 2025
Didn't finish this one. I like and respect the idea of sharing people's stories, and I'm sure they'll be more appreciated in the future, but it's just not interesting enough to read all the way through. There's so many different topics in the book that I barely care about, a few that I do, and there's a lot of details that get old if you don't care about the topic
March 21, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. I love stories and this was a well-curated collection of stories from an area that is very near to my heart. It provided a good dose of nostalgia for the small town I call home, and used a collection of interviews and other primary sources to tell these stories well.
December 31, 2022
Finishing my reading challenge right under the wire!! Admittedly, I skimmed through stories that didn’t interest me. But what a great collection of short stories! Such an important preservation of history and tradition.
January 25, 2019
Interesting
September 11, 2025
Neat collection of essays about life in southern Appalachia. I really enjoyed it.
March 20, 2025
2.5 stars really. Some really good and interesting stories but did the author have a gas budget limit that kept them in North Georgia? While yes, that is part of Southern Appalachia, an almost 3:1 ratio of North Georgia stories to the rest of Southern Appalachia gets a little boring and redundant. Honestly couldn’t finished the last few stories because of lack of variety in locations.
July 10, 2018
I have read all of the Foxfire books. This book was just interviews with people but it taught so much about the history of The Great Smoky Mountains and the people who settled there. I really enjoyed this book
August 1, 2018
Travels with Foxfire is a new addition to the Foxfire family of publications. This volume shares the stories of folks across Southern Appalachia and is true to the Foxfire mission to preserve the diverse traditions of the region. Each of these stories attest to the unique way of life carried on by the people of this special geographical area. The book is an entertaining documentation of stories that were told between families, friends, and neighbors who then passed them along through the generations. Topics of these stories cover everything from foraging and cooking to art and music. This is a great addition to any library collection and a great way to introduce Foxfire to new audicences.
August 9, 2018
Another lovely installment in the Foxfire series, full of information and personal stories surrounding life in the Appalachians, including foodways and recipes, music, politics, farming, building, and much more. The Foxfire books are gems, appealing to general readers and useful for scholars of oral history and folkways.
September 6, 2018
Another comprehensive set of interesting stories about the "old ways and old days" following the Foxfire tradition. The photographs take you closer into the stories, all distilled from one-on-one interviews with Appalachian natives. If you ever wanted to brush up on regional history or learn how to do things you never thought you'd need to know, read this book.
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October 2, 2018This book is about the people, practices, and passions of the Southern Appalachia. The stories come from both North and South Carolina, Tennessee to Kentucky. I have personally lived in Tennessee and Kentucky and have had the joy of traveling through some of the areas in this book as well as having encountered the people, practices, and places in this book. I very much enjoyed this book. The book is written in essay form but the information in each essay is awesome. This brought some memories and reminded me of some forgotten memories.
I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com and chose to leave this review.
I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com and chose to leave this review.
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October 16, 2018I can't rate this book, it would be unfair. It was written decently but I felt like I was intruding on family reunions and private conversations. The book seems to be meant to preserve some stories from southern Appalachia and it should probably stay in that part of the world...somehow it ended up in my Colorado library
October 18, 2018
My daughter read the Foxfire books when she was in school. Seeing a new title in the series was a pleasant surprise. The stories and information in the book are consistent with the earlier books, giving you a look into a different way of life. A great book for anyone and everyone. My grandchildren have now been introduced to the Foxfire library and have asked for earlier titles at their library. So, the book has achieved it's purpose, maintaining interest in a life style most do not ever see while piquing the interest of young people to learn. Thank you.
December 22, 2018
I am interested in history, especially the history surrounding the places and timeframes that my ancestors might have lived in or passed through during their migration. Therefore, I thought Travels with Foxfire : Stories of People, Passions, and Practices from Southern Appalachia by Foxfire Fund Inc would be of interest to me. I was disappointed in the amount of information passed along. While I appreciate the effort of collecting and preserving oral history from those who live in the Appalachia area, it just wasn't deep enough. I could just dabble my toes in the stories before they were splashing on to the next.
Full Disclosure: I was allowed to read a copy of this book for free as a member of NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not influenced to give a positive review.
Full Disclosure: I was allowed to read a copy of this book for free as a member of NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and I was not influenced to give a positive review.
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January 10, 2019Taking credit even though I did not read it all.
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