Voices hum from the mist-laden Appalachia, carrying stories of resilience, heart, and community. For John and Rachel York, a father-daughter creative team, chronicling these stories is their life’s work. Together, they use poems, illustrations, and songs to celebrate Appalachian heritage, providing access for all.
John has been writing poetry for as long as he can remember. Growing up in Yadkin County, North Carolina, he discovered his calling in high school when an English teacher, who quickly became a close friend, encouraged him to put pen to paper. Poetry became a way for him to capture the voices, stories, and cadence of his Appalachian roots. His path solidified when he met the poet Fred Chappell as a freshman at Appalachian State University. Hearing Chappell read “My Grandmother Washes Her Feet” stirred something powerful in John. He realized he had a responsibility to preserve the stories of the mountains and valleys he called home. Around this time, he discovered Doc and Merle Watson’s music, which filled his home and became a kind of soundtrack to his life—and to Rachel’s childhood.
Rachel grew up hearing Doc’s music on the stereo at all times of day and night, and it quickly became part of her own creative expression. She studied bass performance and visual art at East Carolina University and later earned her master’s degree from the Maine College of Art and Design. Along the way, she found her own path into Appalachian storytelling by combining traditional ballads with her visual art, echoing the love for mountain music and culture her beloved grandparents, Bette and Russell McKinney, passed down to her.
For the past six years, John has been working on a collection of poems honoring Doc Watson. When asked why he took on the project, John explains, “I had to”. When Doc passed in 2012, John felt the loss deeply, almost like losing a friend. Writing this collection, he’s focused on capturing Doc’s spirit and life story, from his early family life to his journey through the Folk Revival and his legacy at MerleFest. To John, Doc’s story speaks to the American experience—talent and grit leading to fame, all the while staying true to his roots.
John’s goal is to create poetry that captures Doc’s music in ways that are accessible and evocative—attempting to recreate a blind person’s experience. Supported by the Arts Council of Greater Greensboro, John and Rachel are working together to bring this collection to life in The Charge, a chapbook featuring Rachel’s illustrations.
“The Artist Support Grant has provided us with new ways to think about our work. Whether it is editing poems for public performance or composing new settings for traditional mountain ballads, tasks we might not have done otherwise, we have found the project challenging and rewarding. We are grateful to the Arts Council of Greater Greensboro, as well as the partnering organizations, for supporting our creative efforts and helping us find venues for our work.”
The Yorks’ relationship with the Arts Council stretches back many years, from helping John attend the Appalachian Writers Conference to providing a laptop that became essential during the pandemic. “My connection with The ACGG has enriched my work,” John says. “Not only in providing resources but in creating a community that values and amplifies regional voices.” Now, as John faces the challenges of Parkinson’s, he’s determined to preserve his voice while he still can. Part of his plan is to record these poems to capture his Yadkin County voice for future generations.
For the Yorks, this project is about more than preserving a legacy; it’s about contributing to the tradition that’s shaped their lives. They hope to inspire others to attend to their roots, to the voices that have shaped them, and to share those voices with the world.
John and Rachel will have a public reading of their chapbook, The Charge, on December 27, 2024, at 6:00 PM hosted at Scuppernong Books in Greensboro, NC. Be sure to mark your calendar to join them in celebrating and to snag your copy!
