Blue Ridge Country - July/August 2013 - 61

Kirk Hazen

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Director, West Virginia Dialect Project, English Professor, West Virginia University
It might sound obscure, but Kirk Hazen’s and disappearing phrases, the influences of
area of study – sociolinguistics – “contains a both north and south. He works with students
little bit of everything.” Originally from out- on the research, collecting interviews with
side Detroit, Hazen ended up in West Virginia people (more than 180 so far) and analyzing
because “there were three jobs of what I do, I what they’ve recorded. The students are underthink, in the world, and the one in West graduate, and some come out of the work with
Virginia was closer.”
published articles, a real accomplishment.
Fifteen years later, Hazen is director of the
He’s not sentimental about regional
West Virginia Dialect Project, and has devoted changes in language and accent, though –
his time at West Virginia University to study- change is “what happens when the people are
ing the speech patterns of the state – evolving still alive and the communities are still there.”
Savanna Lyons

Gwynne Rukenbrod

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Program Director, West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition; West Virginia
“I grew up in northern Virginia, but was West Virginia Community Development
lucky to spend part of my summers in Hub (though the coalition will be indepenHampshire County [W.Va.] for about 10 dent by fall 2013). The coalition works with
years. In college I carried around pictures of educators, farmers, policymakers, businesses
the West Virginia mountains and everywhere and state employees to help create a sustainI went I seemed to meet, befriend or date able economy in local food.
West Virginians.”
“Two weeks ago I spoke at a conference of
In 2006, Savanna Lyons was able to fulfill Appalachian economic developers about
a “vague dream” of living in West Virginia, ways to help food entrepreneurs.” She
and worked with groups on watersheds and recently spoke to state legislators about onhelped with a farmers market in Fayetteville, farm poultry processing and school gardens.
“which was a good way to make friends with
“I really value the way of life in West
a lot of farmers and other people in our area, Virginia and want to see rural communities
and they are what kept me here.”
thrive again. We have to find a way to bring
In 2010, Lyons was hired to start the West our youth back home… This region has a lot
Virginia Food & Farm Coalition, part of the to teach.”

Executive Director, HandMade in America; North Carolina
Gwynne Rukenbrod comes to Asheville,
Rukenbrod sees craft and art as a way
N.C., by way of Ohio, Thailand and Texas. toward economic stability, not just personal
She moved to Asheville in 2011 to expression. “I truly believe that craft can
HandMade in America. Her artistic back- transform our rural economy and commuground is in glassblowing.
n i t i e s .” Sh e s e e s c r a f t a s b e i n g i n
“I used to paint but found the process so transition.
tedious and time consuming” – blowing
“The traditional craft artist in Appalachia
glass remedied that. For the past four years still exists. There are sixth- and seventhshe’s been focusing on a different kind of generations of people living in WNC makcreativity. Her goal with HandMade: to ing the same pieces their ancestors did, but
“continue our history of growing the craft there are also younger newer craft artists
economy in Western North Carolina and living in WNC that are pushing the boundmaking a difference to craft artists world- aries of traditional craft by incorporating
wide by teaching other organizations to technology, unique materials, and unusual
replicate our programs.”
processes into their work.”
JULY/AUGUST 2013 | 61
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