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Making Our Future: Visionary Folklore and Everyday Culture in Appalachia
In this book, Emily Hilliard draws from her work as state folklorist to explore contemporary folklife in West Virginia. In doing so, she challenges the common perception of both folklore and Appalachian culture as static, antiquated forms, offering instead the concept of visionary folklore as a future-focused, materialist, and collaborative approach to cultural work.
With chapters on the expressive culture of the West Virginia teachers' strike, the cultural significance of the West Virginia hot dog, the tradition of independent pro wrestling in Appalachia, the practice of nonprofessional women songwriters, the collective counternarrative of a multiracial coal camp community, the invisible landscape of writer Breece D'J Pancake's hometown, the foodways of an Appalachian Swiss community, the postapocalyptic vision presented in the video game Fallout 76, and more, the book centers the collective nature of folklife and examines the role of the public folklorist in collaborative engagements with communities and culture. Hilliard argues that folklore is a unifying concept that puts diverse cultural forms in conversation, as well as a framework that helps us reckon with the past, understand the present, and collectively shape the future.
With chapters on the expressive culture of the West Virginia teachers' strike, the cultural significance of the West Virginia hot dog, the tradition of independent pro wrestling in Appalachia, the practice of nonprofessional women songwriters, the collective counternarrative of a multiracial coal camp community, the invisible landscape of writer Breece D'J Pancake's hometown, the foodways of an Appalachian Swiss community, the postapocalyptic vision presented in the video game Fallout 76, and more, the book centers the collective nature of folklife and examines the role of the public folklorist in collaborative engagements with communities and culture. Hilliard argues that folklore is a unifying concept that puts diverse cultural forms in conversation, as well as a framework that helps us reckon with the past, understand the present, and collectively shape the future.
312 pages, Paperback
Published November 22, 2022
23 people are currently reading
617 people want to read
About the author
Emily Hilliard
5 books48 followersEmily Hilliard is a folklorist, writer, and media producer based at Berea College. Her book, Making Our Future: Visionary Folklore and Everyday Culture in Appalachia, was published by the University of North Carolina Press in 2022, and was named a finalist for the 2022 nonfiction Weatherford Award for books “best illuminating the challenges, personalities, and unique qualities of the Appalachian South.” Her writing and media work have been published by NPR, Oxford American, Southern Cultures, Jacobin, and The Bitter Southerner, among others. Find more at emilyehilliard.com.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 11, 2022
Thanks to University of North Carolina Press through Netgalley for a copy to review. This book will be out November 1st.
I admit, I misread the description that this was for an academic press, and the cover was so cutesie that I thought it just another regional nonfiction overview of folklore, an easy read. I quickly realized I did not have the spoons or IQ to adequately decipher most passages, and the pre-publication kindle formatting left a lot to be desired in readability. That said, the effort put into it was clear.
This is much, much more than a quick book on Appalachian folklore, and very dense and scholarly, so be ready to commit if you pick this up! I was not prepared for how this was presented but I can appreciate the lovingly-crafted project that it was, and so much respectful work was invested.
I'm not sure the general public would love this sort of book but I hope regional scholars find and enjoy. Four stars for content value, maybe a little less for accessbility/readability to a larger audience.
I admit, I misread the description that this was for an academic press, and the cover was so cutesie that I thought it just another regional nonfiction overview of folklore, an easy read. I quickly realized I did not have the spoons or IQ to adequately decipher most passages, and the pre-publication kindle formatting left a lot to be desired in readability. That said, the effort put into it was clear.
This is much, much more than a quick book on Appalachian folklore, and very dense and scholarly, so be ready to commit if you pick this up! I was not prepared for how this was presented but I can appreciate the lovingly-crafted project that it was, and so much respectful work was invested.
I'm not sure the general public would love this sort of book but I hope regional scholars find and enjoy. Four stars for content value, maybe a little less for accessbility/readability to a larger audience.
August 30, 2022
If I were to try to describe Emily Hilliard's "Making Our Future: Visionary Folklore and Everyday Culture in Appalachia" in a single word that word would be "joy."
Joy is the word that keeps coming up for me as I reflect upon my several days of reading "Making Our Future," not so much because it's an impossibly happy book because, in all honesty, it actually tackles some rather serious subjects. The word "joy" comes to mind mostly because Hilliard writes with such complete and utter enthusiasm for contemporary folklore and culture that you can't help but get caught up in her incredibly intelligent and spirited writing and her ability to vividly portray the worlds in which she's planted herself.
In other words, I loved every page of "Making Our Future."
From 2015-2021, Hilliard worked as the West Virginia State Folklorist and Founding Director of the West Virginia Folklife Program at the West Virginia Humanities Council. She currently is the Program Director for Folk and Traditional Arts at Mid Atlantic Arts, managing the Central Appalachia Living Traditions program.
Folklore is her area of expertise and it shines through on every page of "Making Our Future," not just in terms of the intelligent discourse she puts forth but in the way she's able to bring this all to life in a way that is accessible, engaging, and delightfully entertaining.
"Making Our Future" was a book that I selected that honestly fell out of my comfort zone. Hilliard drew me and within a few pages I felt completely comfortable with Hilliard's immersion into visionary folklore and her ability to immerse me in everyday Appalachian culture.
I will confess that Appalachian culture is not completely unfamiliar to me despite the fact that I'm a lifelong Indianapolis, Indiana resident. My own paternal grandparents were from the Appalachian parts of Kentucky and I spent many of my childhood summers on their tobacco farm where I've returned as an adult to officiate weddings, funerals, and visit the few relatives who survive.
Seldom, if ever, have I experienced Appalachia explained with such delight as it is in "Making Our Future." Hilliard challenges stereotypes and common misperceptions of folklore and Appalachia by presenting Appalachian culture through the lens of visionary folklore that is forward-thinking, future-focused, materialist, and collaborative.
"Making Our Future" is entirely set in West Virginia and offers chapters on the expressive culture of the West Virginia Teachers' strike, the cultural significance of the West Virginia hot dog, the practice of nonprofessional women songwriters, the post-apocalyptic vision presented in the video game Fallout 76, and the foodways of an Appalachian Swiss community along several other chapters.
It would be hard to pick favorites, though I found myself smiling throughout Hilliard's exploration of the West Virginia hot dog and utterly captivated by her discovering of West Virginia's nonprofessional women songwriters. Perhaps the only chapter I didn't quite click with was the chapter on the video game Fallout 76, though I will openly admit that many post-apocalyptic discussions leave me in a cognitive haze.
Hilliard argues that folklore is a unifying concept that puts diverse cultural forms in conversation, as well as a framework that helps us reckon with the past, understand the present, and collectively shape the future. After reading "Making Our Future," count me as among the newly convinced. Hilliard's writing gave me such enthusiasm for folklore I'm practically beaming even as I write this review and she gave me a deeper appreciation for Appalachian culture and West Virginia.
As someone who has spent much of my life traveling the roads by wheelchair as an activist, I resonated with so many of the observations made by Hilliard because she actually slows down enough to see the people around her, the landscape, and the tiniest cultural landmarks that many people would miss.
Destined to be one of my favorite reads for 2022, "Making Our Future" is a shining example of public scholarship presented in a way that it can be celebrated by the public.
Hilliard has been a faculty member of the University of Michigan's New England Literature Program, and currently teaches in Marshall University's Graduate Humanities Program.
Her research and writing interests include foodways, vernacular music, occupational folklife, feminism and domestic space, and the intersections between traditional, experimental, and radical culture. She is also a musician and a co-founder of the feminist record label SPINSTER.
"Making Our Future" is without a doubt one of 2022's truly "must read" titles.
Joy is the word that keeps coming up for me as I reflect upon my several days of reading "Making Our Future," not so much because it's an impossibly happy book because, in all honesty, it actually tackles some rather serious subjects. The word "joy" comes to mind mostly because Hilliard writes with such complete and utter enthusiasm for contemporary folklore and culture that you can't help but get caught up in her incredibly intelligent and spirited writing and her ability to vividly portray the worlds in which she's planted herself.
In other words, I loved every page of "Making Our Future."
From 2015-2021, Hilliard worked as the West Virginia State Folklorist and Founding Director of the West Virginia Folklife Program at the West Virginia Humanities Council. She currently is the Program Director for Folk and Traditional Arts at Mid Atlantic Arts, managing the Central Appalachia Living Traditions program.
Folklore is her area of expertise and it shines through on every page of "Making Our Future," not just in terms of the intelligent discourse she puts forth but in the way she's able to bring this all to life in a way that is accessible, engaging, and delightfully entertaining.
"Making Our Future" was a book that I selected that honestly fell out of my comfort zone. Hilliard drew me and within a few pages I felt completely comfortable with Hilliard's immersion into visionary folklore and her ability to immerse me in everyday Appalachian culture.
I will confess that Appalachian culture is not completely unfamiliar to me despite the fact that I'm a lifelong Indianapolis, Indiana resident. My own paternal grandparents were from the Appalachian parts of Kentucky and I spent many of my childhood summers on their tobacco farm where I've returned as an adult to officiate weddings, funerals, and visit the few relatives who survive.
Seldom, if ever, have I experienced Appalachia explained with such delight as it is in "Making Our Future." Hilliard challenges stereotypes and common misperceptions of folklore and Appalachia by presenting Appalachian culture through the lens of visionary folklore that is forward-thinking, future-focused, materialist, and collaborative.
"Making Our Future" is entirely set in West Virginia and offers chapters on the expressive culture of the West Virginia Teachers' strike, the cultural significance of the West Virginia hot dog, the practice of nonprofessional women songwriters, the post-apocalyptic vision presented in the video game Fallout 76, and the foodways of an Appalachian Swiss community along several other chapters.
It would be hard to pick favorites, though I found myself smiling throughout Hilliard's exploration of the West Virginia hot dog and utterly captivated by her discovering of West Virginia's nonprofessional women songwriters. Perhaps the only chapter I didn't quite click with was the chapter on the video game Fallout 76, though I will openly admit that many post-apocalyptic discussions leave me in a cognitive haze.
Hilliard argues that folklore is a unifying concept that puts diverse cultural forms in conversation, as well as a framework that helps us reckon with the past, understand the present, and collectively shape the future. After reading "Making Our Future," count me as among the newly convinced. Hilliard's writing gave me such enthusiasm for folklore I'm practically beaming even as I write this review and she gave me a deeper appreciation for Appalachian culture and West Virginia.
As someone who has spent much of my life traveling the roads by wheelchair as an activist, I resonated with so many of the observations made by Hilliard because she actually slows down enough to see the people around her, the landscape, and the tiniest cultural landmarks that many people would miss.
Destined to be one of my favorite reads for 2022, "Making Our Future" is a shining example of public scholarship presented in a way that it can be celebrated by the public.
Hilliard has been a faculty member of the University of Michigan's New England Literature Program, and currently teaches in Marshall University's Graduate Humanities Program.
Her research and writing interests include foodways, vernacular music, occupational folklife, feminism and domestic space, and the intersections between traditional, experimental, and radical culture. She is also a musician and a co-founder of the feminist record label SPINSTER.
"Making Our Future" is without a doubt one of 2022's truly "must read" titles.
August 6, 2023
Picked up this book on a whim at the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center, and wow am I glad I did.
Read in two days because I just couldn’t put it down. For someone not from WV, this author did an incredible job of embedding herself in the culture and understanding the historical and contemporary factors of the region. I think this book is very readable as far as scholarly works go, and despite a few passages being denser, I do think a non-scholarly, but nonfiction-inclined audience would still enjoy. As someone interested in cultural memory studies, this was a particularly interesting book for me, and taught me a lot about the field of folklore, and frankly made me look at the culture of my home state in new ways. I never considered the history of hotdogs. I’ve never heard of Breece Pancake but I’m ordering the story collection asap. Though in recent years people have begun speaking about the diversity of West Virginia historically, the chapter on Scott’s Run really ingrained that in me in a way I never understood before.
I cried reading the chapter about the teacher’s strike and feeling the full circle of socialist labor organizing in a state so often written off as conservative. And also because West Virginia teachers got me to where I am, and they deserve so much better. It also made me emotional to consider this deep, rich, evolving culture of a place I only ever wanted to leave, but it also makes me more conscious of the values I was raised with and more willing to go back for visits and represent West Virginia to outsiders. I’m so obsessed with this idea of communities choosing what to keep and what to change about their traditions, and the acknowledgement that in order to carry culture forward, basic needs need to be met and these communities need to be protected from commodification and extraction (although this does shape culture too). I have so many thoughts to take away from this book and I am so so grateful to Emily Hilliard for doing this work.
Read in two days because I just couldn’t put it down. For someone not from WV, this author did an incredible job of embedding herself in the culture and understanding the historical and contemporary factors of the region. I think this book is very readable as far as scholarly works go, and despite a few passages being denser, I do think a non-scholarly, but nonfiction-inclined audience would still enjoy. As someone interested in cultural memory studies, this was a particularly interesting book for me, and taught me a lot about the field of folklore, and frankly made me look at the culture of my home state in new ways. I never considered the history of hotdogs. I’ve never heard of Breece Pancake but I’m ordering the story collection asap. Though in recent years people have begun speaking about the diversity of West Virginia historically, the chapter on Scott’s Run really ingrained that in me in a way I never understood before.
I cried reading the chapter about the teacher’s strike and feeling the full circle of socialist labor organizing in a state so often written off as conservative. And also because West Virginia teachers got me to where I am, and they deserve so much better. It also made me emotional to consider this deep, rich, evolving culture of a place I only ever wanted to leave, but it also makes me more conscious of the values I was raised with and more willing to go back for visits and represent West Virginia to outsiders. I’m so obsessed with this idea of communities choosing what to keep and what to change about their traditions, and the acknowledgement that in order to carry culture forward, basic needs need to be met and these communities need to be protected from commodification and extraction (although this does shape culture too). I have so many thoughts to take away from this book and I am so so grateful to Emily Hilliard for doing this work.
May 11, 2024
4.5 stars, rounded up.
This made me love West Virginia even more than I already do - definitely an academically-minded text, but with a subject matter that I think can be appreciated by a larger audience. Lots of my favorite things - explorations of foodways, place-making through literature and community building, and visioning for a more hopeful, rurally-rooted future -- maybe I should become a folklorist too (or maybe I already am!).
This made me love West Virginia even more than I already do - definitely an academically-minded text, but with a subject matter that I think can be appreciated by a larger audience. Lots of my favorite things - explorations of foodways, place-making through literature and community building, and visioning for a more hopeful, rurally-rooted future -- maybe I should become a folklorist too (or maybe I already am!).
Read
January 8, 2023This is about today's traditions, not yesteryear. It's a fascinating collection & cross-section of WV. My favorite was one I had no idea about--the game Fallout 76, based in a virtual WV and with a hardcore WV fanbase. Also: amateur pro-wrestling, burning the effigy of Old Man Winter, songwriters, and the big teachers' strike. It feels written for an accademic-folklorist audience but there is great, very human stuff in here.
September 6, 2022
I couldn't stop myself from reading sections of this book aloud to my roommates as I went. I'll admit I didn't have a particular interest in West Virginia specifically going in. It was the "visionary folklore" part of the title that caught my eye. I took a couple oral history classes my senior year that touched on modern folklore work and fell in love. Hilliard's book had me falling in love all over again. If you enjoy nonfiction, if you're at all interested in folklore or the structure of small town communities, or if you grew up in a small town, give this a read.
There's a staggering breadth of topics covered, from local songwriting and recipes to the teachers' strike and labor struggles; from hot dogs to West Virginia-based video game Fallout 76. I can't say I had a favorite chapter either- they were all equally compelling, even on topics I didn't have much interest or background knowledge in, like the culture and practices surrounding Pro Wrestling.
I've now got several tabs open searching for the literature referenced (you can't read this book and not go looking for Breece D'J Pancake's book). Overall, a fresh and intimate look at Appalachian life, and compelling proof of the necessity of ethical, collaborative folklore.
(As a side note on my personal experience reading, I just finished playing through the 2017 indie game Night in the Woods, a narrative with shockingly similar themes: the slow death of old coal mining towns, labor and class issues, unemployment, religion, and tradition. A couple chapters into Hilliard's book I finally pulled up a search and found that the two main writers of NITW were from Pittsburgh: just across the border.)
**Thank you to Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**
There's a staggering breadth of topics covered, from local songwriting and recipes to the teachers' strike and labor struggles; from hot dogs to West Virginia-based video game Fallout 76. I can't say I had a favorite chapter either- they were all equally compelling, even on topics I didn't have much interest or background knowledge in, like the culture and practices surrounding Pro Wrestling.
I've now got several tabs open searching for the literature referenced (you can't read this book and not go looking for Breece D'J Pancake's book). Overall, a fresh and intimate look at Appalachian life, and compelling proof of the necessity of ethical, collaborative folklore.
(As a side note on my personal experience reading, I just finished playing through the 2017 indie game Night in the Woods, a narrative with shockingly similar themes: the slow death of old coal mining towns, labor and class issues, unemployment, religion, and tradition. A couple chapters into Hilliard's book I finally pulled up a search and found that the two main writers of NITW were from Pittsburgh: just across the border.)
**Thank you to Netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**
September 16, 2022
I love this book, an account of West Virginian folklore created through collaborative means and with an eye on how folklore and regional customs are being preserved. Author Hilliard writes in an easy, everyday voice, devoid of jargon or too much academic writing. The work she's done as a scholar and partner wi people in t he state involved in various, wide-ranging traditions is outstanding. Folklore isn't just stories told around a fire by elders--although that still happens--but is the content of a video game, the way a certain kind of food is cooked, the places--some of them now destroyed--that appear in a writer's work. It's a fascinating read, and I hope other folklorists follow Hilliard's lead.
October 26, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. OKAY, this one took me to places I've never visited nor read much about. The fascination I've held for Appalachia has always been there though. The few stories I've heard were nowhere near as in-depth as this book was. It was also very eloquently and smartly written, so much so that at times I had to use as much concentration as I could to really piece together the info dump chapter after chapter. Although please don't think that's a bad thing, I actually quite enjoyed it.
January 16, 2023
As someone with a passion for cultural histories and folklore, this book immediately grabbed me. The stories Hilliard collected were fascinating and vibrant, and I can't wait to jump back in soon. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in West Virginia, history, and folklore more broadly.
Thank you so, so much to University of Carolina Press and Netgalley for giving me a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you so, so much to University of Carolina Press and Netgalley for giving me a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 15, 2022
This book is a well-written, scholarly book in an area that many people may have heard of but few actually know much about. While I can say that I was one of those people once, I now feel like I have learned so much about the Appalachian community Hilliard discusses in this book. Well-written, exciting stories, and is an engaging book.
June 6, 2023
The title is deceptive--the book is all based in West Virginia, not broader Appalachia. Otherwise, some interesting writing and contributes to the canon of books dispelling myths about our region.
December 14, 2024
I have now become a hazard. I will info dump to anyone and everyone about the significance of Pepperoni Rolls and WV hot dogs.
April 1, 2025
This was probably one of my favorite non-fiction reads ever
December 9, 2022
I loved this well researched and informative book. it made me learn about the Appalacchian culture and was easy to follow.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
September 2, 2023
did not expect to call this book one of the best i’ve ever read, but that is on me for underestimating the power of west virginia!! i am moving to helvetia immediately!!!!
September 16, 2022
*This book was received as an Advanced Reviewer's Copy from NetGalley.
What an interesting book! While not a West Virginian myself, being in the South and near the foothills of Appalachia, some of the folk expressions carried over and it was interesting too to see how they varied by region.
This book covers more modern folk, specifically what the author terms as "folklife", hearkening not necessarily to history, but to the adaptability of traditions and other expressions of culture and self that can be found. Going through topics like hotdogs (next time I'm passing through Bexley I'll have a stop to make for sure), to a museum where the townsfolk having a Sat. chat is part of the draw, to a video game that expresses different interesting notes of WV lore and place (I now need to play this video game), it covered a wide array of topics you wouldn't necessarily put together as "similar". But in the author's way of describing how culture can be generated, it makes sense.
There is some jargon that goes along with the topic (I, with no shame, don't mind looking up terms and concepts and had to do that a few times in this one), but I would expect that from any non-fiction book in a person's specialty area. In general, the vibe and purpose of the book came through and is a great way to explore the people of West Virginia while also understanding some of their history, sociology, and paths forward.
Review by M. Reynard 2022
What an interesting book! While not a West Virginian myself, being in the South and near the foothills of Appalachia, some of the folk expressions carried over and it was interesting too to see how they varied by region.
This book covers more modern folk, specifically what the author terms as "folklife", hearkening not necessarily to history, but to the adaptability of traditions and other expressions of culture and self that can be found. Going through topics like hotdogs (next time I'm passing through Bexley I'll have a stop to make for sure), to a museum where the townsfolk having a Sat. chat is part of the draw, to a video game that expresses different interesting notes of WV lore and place (I now need to play this video game), it covered a wide array of topics you wouldn't necessarily put together as "similar". But in the author's way of describing how culture can be generated, it makes sense.
There is some jargon that goes along with the topic (I, with no shame, don't mind looking up terms and concepts and had to do that a few times in this one), but I would expect that from any non-fiction book in a person's specialty area. In general, the vibe and purpose of the book came through and is a great way to explore the people of West Virginia while also understanding some of their history, sociology, and paths forward.
Review by M. Reynard 2022
May 3, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. It was a bit dry at times, especially in the intro, but mostly so full of color I breezed through (when I actually had time to read). WV gets a bad rap a lot of times but I think this books pays homage to another, and often overlooked, beautiful aspect of the state: its cultural heritage. I’m a native West Virginian and found myself learning about things I wasn’t even aware existed. I will definitely be checking out the work of some of the people mentioned and plan to do a “making our future” tour of the state next time I’m back home. 🥲 Definitely more of an academic read but still moving.
February 13, 2023
Fascinating look at the people and traditions that make West Virginia's heart beat. I'm a native WVian -- lived here all my life and worked in tourism -- yet I still learned some new things about my state. It was a bit dry and academic at times (written I assume from a researcher's standpoint rather than a journalist's) but still a must read for anyone who's interested in West Virginia's culture and history.
June 27, 2023
The first 2/3 of the book were pretty interesting but was difficult reading due to the extensive use of academic jargon. I learned quite a bit even from the chapters I wasn’t particularly interested in such as wrestling and online gaming. I could see how those reflected the culture of West Virginia.
July 31, 2025
if you had told me a year ago that this summer, I would read a collection of essays about Appalachia and then not shut up about it for the next two months, I would say “sounds about right”
April 22, 2024
I bought this because I am a fan of Hilliard's record label Spinster and she was in town giving a reading. I'm not a folklorist but I don't think you have to be - aside from a few chapters which are pretty dense with theory and jargon - though still readable! - Making Our Future delves into topics as varied as local authors, hot dogs, the teacher's strike and a video game set in West Virginia. Along the way, she argues for a vision of folklore that accurately represents the communities they come out of, not prescriptive and not based on an imagined idea of what the state is like. She's a realist, but a joyous one. I look forward to reading more by her and in the meantime, looking at my community and
the foodways, politics, and opportunities for social change in a new way.
the foodways, politics, and opportunities for social change in a new way.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews