I've talked about finding an unexpected branch of my family before. I've got deep Appalachian roots. For this Northern, WPA girl, it was a surprise. But it's led to a bit of a research palooza over the last few years. Not just genealogy. Reading. (I know you're shocked.) One of my first finds was a bit of an intersection between my love of cookbooks and my interest in Appalachia. I picked up Victuals, Ronnie Lundy. I loved reading about the food of the region that was also a bit of a tour. And I felt sort of smug last week when we were watching Clarise and there were strings of beans drying in a house. I said, "Leather Britches." Himself looked at me like I was crazy (that's nothing new LOL) I'm hoping to try drying my own this year.
Anyway, I found a blog, Blind Pig and Acorn, that spends a lot of time talking about all manner of Appalachian things. This week, they had a great post about
Appalachian books. I've gone on a bit of a shopping spree since reading it.
But I think one of the biggest influences this unexpected family history has had on me is my pottery. I did a report in school about Burlon Craig, which led to a read-a-thon about southern pottery, which led to discovering face jugs and their long southern history, which led to...well, a bit of a face jug addiction.
I've played with ash glazes and face jug variations ever since. I love that each one has its own personality.
One of my complete joys was discovering my family came from near the Catawba Valley, which is the home of a lot of the potters I love.
I'll be spending a lot of time deep diving into my new collection of books about Appalachia. And someday, we're going to do a West Virginia/Virginia trip. I'm planning to visit places my family came from, as well as visit pottery studios in the region. I can't wait!
Family. Learning about where I come from has truly influenced where I am. It's influenced my writing. It's been a fascinating journey so far and I think there will be a lot of fun twists and turns to come.
I love writing about families as well. My Hometown Hearts series is all about family. Family that's born. Family that's made. Friends who are family. Family that's unexpected. I hope you'll check them out.
Holly
Crib Notes: Hometown Hearts #1
A Special Kind of Different: Hometown Hearts #2
Homecoming: Hometown Hearts #3
Suddenly a Father: Hometown Hearts #4
Something Borrowed: Hometown Hearts #5
Available 1/5/21
Something Blue: Hometown Hearts #6
Preorder: Something Perfect: Hometown Hearts #7 available 5/21
