Foxfire Fund - Travels with Foxfire: stories of people, passions, and practices from Southern Appalachia

Copyright 2018 by The Foxfire Fund, Inc.

All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Anchor Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York, and distributed in Canada by Random House of Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited, Toronto.

Anchor Books and colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

Lillie Mulkey West: Inspiring a new generation of folk singers first appeared, in slightly different form, in The Times of Gainesville, Georgia.

Due to limitations of space, permissions to reprint previously published material can be found on .

The Foxfire Fund, Inc.

PO Box 541

Mountain City, GA 30562-0541

706-746-5828

www.foxfire.org

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Hudgins, Phil, compiler, interviewer. | Phillips, Jessica, 1998 interviewer. | Foxfire Fund, issuing body.

Title: Travels with Foxfire : stories of people, passions, and practices from Southern Appalachia / Phil Hudgins and Foxfire student Jessica Phillips.

Description: New York : Anchor Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, [2018]

Identifiers: LCCN 2017056227

Subjects: LCSH: Appalachian RegionCivilization. | Southern StatesCivilization. | Country lifeAppalachian Region. | Country lifeSouthern States. | HandicraftAppalachian Region. | HandicraftSouthern States. | Appalachian RegionSocial life and customs. | Southern StatesSocial life and customs. | InterviewsAppalachian Region. | InterviewsSouthern States.

Classification: LCC F106 .H83 2018 | DDC 975.8dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017056227

Anchor Books Trade Paperback ISBN9780525436294

Ebook ISBN9780525436300

Cover design by Walter Cochran of Braizen, LLC

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While a great many folks lent their talents to this work, we want to take this opportunity to recognize four individuals for their many years of service to Foxfire. First, Ann Moore, who retired as Foxfires executive director after nearly twenty years in that role and forty years with the organization. This past year, two long-time board members, Janet Rechtman and Hunter Moorman, retired from their posts. Then, Hilton Smith, a long-time staff member, past interim executive director for Foxfire, and one of the educational innovators behind the Foxfire Approach to Teaching and Learning, retired from teaching.

Janet Rechtman first came to Foxfire in 1998 as a consultant through the organizations strategic planning process. Three years later, she joined the board of directors and was shortly thereafter appointed as board chaira position in which she served for some seven years. All told, Janet served on the board for seventeen years.

Hunter Moorman was invited to join the board of directors in 1999. Hunter was a former assistant secretary to the US Department of Education and brought an informed perspective on Foxfires educational programming, specifically teacher development through the Foxfire Approach. In 2009, Hunter was nominated to serve as Foxfires board chairman, a position he held until 2017. In that time, Hunter guided the organization through its strategic plan for 20092015 and helped the organization secure its first NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities) grant in some thirty years.

Hilton Smith was an early adopter of the core practices that would become the Foxfire Approach to Teaching and Learning. He joined the Foxfire staff as an educator in the 1980s and played a pivotal role in developing and defining the approach. Later, Hilton was asked to serve as Foxfires interim executive director as it navigated a difficult transition in administrative leadership. Years later, Hilton was instrumental in coordinating Foxfires partnership with Piedmont College, through which many teachers were educated in the Foxfire Approach.

Ann Moore joined Foxfire as its bookkeeper in 1976 and was named president and executive director in 1999. Ann retired from Foxfire in 2016, leaving behind a legacy of selfless, tireless work for this organization. In 2017, the Gate House, which houses Foxfires museum store and offices, was rededicated as the Ann Moore Gate House, to honor her selfless dedication to Foxfire.

To these individuals and the countless others who have contributed to Foxfire over the years, we dedicate this volume to you.