BOONE, N.C. — The newest issue of Appalachian Journal: A Regional Studies Review (vol. 53, no. 4) features an exploration of the World War II landscapes of Affrilachian military artist Joseph E. Dodd by Rhonda L. Reymond; oral history-based research on Kentucky mountain horses from Daniel G. Renfrow, Stephanie McSpirit, and Kristen Guest; interviews with Jonas N.T. Becker on photography highlighting the systematic exploitation of Appalachia; and Whitney Jones on the Jargon Society’s role in connecting writers, artists, and scholars. Highlights include poetry from KB Ballentine, Laura Cyphers, Eva Altar, Jane Wilson Eller, George Ella Lyon, Nathaniel Lachenmeyer, Susan J. Mitchell, Jarrod Ingles, William Rieppe Moore, and Michael McFee.
The scholarly article “Creating Art in a War but Not a War Artist: Joseph E. Dodd’s WWII Landscapes” by Rhonda L. Reymond studies the artwork of African American veteran and West Virginian Joseph E. Dodd. Reymond’s work uncovers and explores the influences of Dodd’s previously overlooked work, alongside the work of other African American artists and veterans of his time.
Daniel G. Renfrow, Stephanie McSpirit, and Kristen Guest present the history, continuity, and preservation of the Kentucky mountain horse in their scholarly article. They look at the stories of Kentuckians through interactions with the mountain horse, analyzing how identity took shape through relationships between mountain people and mountain horses.
This issue features an interview from Robert Alan Grand with photographer Jonas N.T. Becker on Becker’s work and themes of redevelopment as a tool for oppression in the Appalachian region. Becker discusses the historical significance of landscapes, as well as the use of landscapes in his photography as a tool for exploring relationships between humans and land, and the myths surrounding those relationships.
Abby Lawson and Charmaine Cadeau interview Whitney Jones on his involvement with the Jargon Society. Jones speaks to the origins of the Jargon Society and its connections to Black Mountain College, as well as his later work with the organization in publishing, promoting, and connecting writers of the region.
Five reviews of scholarly and creative work on the Appalachian region are part of this issue. Monic Ductan reviews Lullaby for the Grieving by Ashley M. Jones. Cicero M. Fain, III examines Black Freedom Struggle in Urban Appalachia edited by J.Z. Bennett, Christy L. McGuire, Lori Delale-O’Connor, T. Elon Dancy II, and Sabina Vaught. Julia Franks explores Streets of Nashville by Michael Amos Cody, while Annie Woodford reviews Requiem for a Redbird by Torli Bush. Finally, KB Ballentine delves into Amanda Chimera by Mary B. Moore.
Purchase or renew your Appalachian Journal subscription through UNC Press/Scholarly Publishing Collective. You can also access the latest issue through Project MUSE and libraries that subscribe to Appalachian Journal.
Related: Summer 2026 edition of As the Crow Flies now available
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About the Appalachian Journal: A Regional Studies Review
Appalachian Journal: A Regional Studies Review, founded in 1972, is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed quarterly journal housed at Appalachian State University. The journal features field research, interviews, and other scholarly studies of history, politics, economics, culture, folklore, literature, music, ecology, and a variety of other topics, as well as poetry and reviews of books, films, and recordings dealing with the Appalachian Mountains region. Learn more about Appalachian Journal: A Regional Studies Review
About the Center for Appalachian Studies
The Center for Appalachian Studies promotes public programs, community collaboration, civic engagement, and scholarship on the Appalachian region. The center is committed to building healthy communities and deepening knowledge of Appalachia’s past, present, and future through community-based research and engagement. Learn more about the Center for Appalachian Studies
Written by Dr. Jessica Cory
Edited by Lauren Gibbs
July 17, 2026
BOONE, N.C.