Tag Archives: blogging

Telling Stories With Sound

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Writer Wendy’s weekly installment

So most of you know I have this side gig as a Folkways Reporter for Inside Appalachia. It’s fun, albeit with a steep learning curve, figuring out how to tell stories with disembodied sound instead of standing in front of an audience watching their faces.

I’ve had great teachers, though. It’s always a leg up when someone answers a newbie question with “here’s the goal” rather than specifics responding to your exact question. Define the goal and let people reach it based on their ideas: that’s an excellent teaching technique.

And I had some good news recently. The first story I ever did was on mushroom hunting for beginners, a thing that has interested me ever since I acquired some woodland property that proliferates with the little fungi. (And some the size of dinner plates.)

I always liked reporting (I was one fresh out of college) because you’re constantly learning things by listening to other people. It’s fascinating. So the mushroom story was fun in and of itself. But last week I got a message from the producer. It’s up for an award.

My first story??!! My head isn’t gonna fit through doorways.

The Virginias (as in Commonwealth of and West) AP Broadcasters Award has a category of “Light Feature.” I’m up for it – along with a delightful fellow reporter named Rebecca Williams, whom I met at last year’s retreat for reporters. We had a lot of fun bonding, and now we have agreed that whoever comes in first buys the second-placer a margarita. (The event is held at the Greenbriar. They make awesome margaritas.)

I’m excited; I feel validated. I’m plotting more stories to tell with sound. And I’m looking forward to the next story up, about the secret powers of a unicorn mug. Here are a couple of preview photos.

That story starts airing March 24, but local times will vary.

And if you want to hear the mushroom story, here’s the link. https://wvpublic.org/appalachian-mushroom-experts-welcome-sprouting-newbies/

Come back next Friday for more from Wendy Welch

Back SEAT Drivers–

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Jack gets in just over the line again – –

Continuing from last week – –

When Wendy first came to Scotland and we prepared to get married, she got an earlier model SEAT Ibiza car. Part of the deal for her PhD studies was that she should teach a semester of classes for undergrad students, which meant going back to Newfoundland for a few months.

She was in the habit of getting drive-thru food when on the road and also in the habit of dumping the empty bags and containers over her shoulder into the back of the car. So while she was gone I gave her SEAT a thorough clean, and when she came back she found it sparkling (true love!). I had hooked an empty bag on the glove box handle as a hint – –

Within a week the bag was full, and so was the back of the car! Never try to change your life partner…

Then there was the time she went into town. Our nearest town of any size was Cupar, and it had a marvelous bakery shop called Fisher and Donaldson.

I was surprised when she came home in a taxi with the excellent rhubarb pies they made. She had come out of the bakery, walked over the sidewalk, and dropped the only key for the car down a drain! It took us three weeks to get a replacement key, and meanwhile the car sat by the side of the road back in town. But she did buy me an extra rhubarb tart.

Twenty six years later, and I have just cleaned out our newest car – a Prius Prime. I lifted out all the stuff and killed our fairly new vacuum in the process! I found some home-made rhubarb pies – – –

Let the circle be unbroken – –

Come back next Wednesday for more from Jack