I was part of the archivist team from the Special Collections Research Center at UK Libraries that travelled to Appalshop after the flood to assist with material salvage. Still, my background with Appalshop goes back more than 30 years. My band, Stealin Horses, played Appalshop often in the 1980s, and I got to know many of the Appalshop crew over the years: Judi Jennings, The Richardsons, Rich Kirby, Mimi Pickering, Dee Davis, and the list goes on. I’ve played in the theater and on WMMT many times, my art has hung on the gallery walls. It was an unspeakable feeling to walk into the Appalshop building after the flood, seeing everything covered in mud, smelling the mold and mildew. It broke my heart in half. 

The Higher Ground housing development at Talcum sits on the strip mine above my family’s homeplace, today covered by Highway 80. The Adam Terry Cemetery, relocated when Highway 80 was built, is near the housing entrance and holds many of my relatives, including my great-grandfather, Adam Terry. It is surreal that the housing development and my heritage are linked, but that’s our Appalachia, isn’t it? We are all connected.