When I left the coal mines, I sought both justice and knowledge. Without knowledge and critical thinking, there can never be justice and equality. Here is my personal list of recommended reading, films, short videos, and other resources that may help you, or your class, better understand the Appalachian situation and the world around us.
Books & Writing
Who Owns Appalachia? Land Ownership and its Impact.
Appalachian Land Ownership Task Force. 1983. Full text here.
Fighting King Coal: The Challenges of Micromobilization in Central Appalachia.
Bell, Shannon Elizabeth. 2016.
What Are People For?
Berry, Wendell. 1990.
The United States of Appalachia: How Southern Mountaineers Brought Independence, Culture, and Enlightenment to America.
Biggers, Jeff. 2007.
When Miners March.
Blizzard, William. Edited by Harris, Wess. 2010.
Night Comes to the Cumberlands.
Caudill, Harry M. 1963.
The Working Life: The Promise and Betrayal of Modern Work.
Ciulla, Joanne B. 2000.
Life, Work, and Rebellion in the Coal Fields: The Southern West Virginia Miners, 1880-1922.
Corbin, David. 1981.
Miners, Millhands, and Mountaineers: Industrialization of the Appalachian South, 1880-1930.
Eller, Ronald D. 1982.
Written in Blood: Courage and Corruption in the Appalachian War of Extraction.
Harris, Wess editor. 2017
Something’s Rising: Appalachians Fighting Mountaintop Removal.
House, Silas & Howard, Jason. 2011.
Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect.
Orr, David. 2004.
Ishmael.
Quinn, Daniel. 1992.
Lost Mountain.
Reece, Erik. 2007.
An American Gospel: On Family, History, and the Kingdom of God.
Reece, Erik. 2009.
Discourse on the Origin and Basis of Inequality Among Men.
Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. 1755.
Coal River.
Shnayerson, Michael. 2008.
Hegemony How-To: A Roadmap for Radicals.
Smucker, Jonathan. 2017.
Land of the Spotted Eagle.
Standing Bear, Luther. 1933.
The Scotia Widows: Inside Their Lawsuit Against Big Daddy Coal.
Stern, Gerald M. 2008.
High Mountains Rising: Appalachia in Time and Place.
Straw, Richard A. & Blethen, H. Tyler editors. 2004.
Blacks in Appalachia.
Turner, William. Cabbell, Edward. 2009.
Voices from the Appalachian Coalfields.
Yarrow, Mike. Yarrow, Ruth. 2015.
Film
Coal Country.
2009. Evans, Mari-lynn. Geller, Phylis. Evening Star Productions.
Blood on the Mountain.
2016. Evans, Mari-Lynn. Freeman, Jordan. Evening Star Productions.
Harlan County, USA.
1977. Kopple, Barbara. First Run Features.
The Both of Me. (Short Film)
2021. Lavoie, Brandon. Lindytown Films.
Justice in the Coalfields.
1995. Lewis, Anne. Appalshop Films.
Matewan.
1987. Sayles, John. Cinecom Pictures.
The Mine Wars.
2019. PBS American Experience.