By Mike Templeton
Two of the most exciting projects in development by the Urban Appalachian Community Coalition are in connection with Kith and Kin, which brings together the Urban Appalachian Story Gathering Project and our Perceptions of Home exhibit. One of the key partners in Kith and Kin has been Jim Talkington of Talkington Media. Jim Talkington has some close and special connections to UACC, both as an urban Appalachian himself and with his professional contributions to these projects. Jim was himself interviewed as part of Perceptions of Home as a recent migrant in the 1990s, and he is now working to preserve video and audio interviews as part of his professional work. I got an opportunity to speak with Jim Talkington about being an urban Appalachian, his history with the Urban Appalachian Council, UACC and others, and his ongoing work with Talkington Media.
Jim Talkington is as urban Appalachian as they come. He was born in Fairmont, West Virginia and lived most of his childhood in Buckhannon. Jim describes his youth as a “wonderful Appalachian upbringing, with miles of mountain trails, creeks, and fishing ponds just outside my door.” He describes his childhood as “very blue collar. Dad was a truck driver for A&P Food Stores, and Mom’s side of the family were coal miners.” By the time he graduated high school, Jim Talkington had all but settled on a career in photography and an opportunity to study his art brought him to Cincinnati at the age of 19.
In the course of his studies and his work, Talkington came to realize that working in photography and video production offered a channel by which he could “help people tell their stories in an honest and authentic way.” Jim’s involvement in the 1990s with the Appalachian Community Development Association which organized the Appalachian Festival at Coney Island is where he first formed relationships with key creators of the Urban Appalachian Council’s “Perceptions of Home: The Urban Appalachian Spirit,” an exhibit using photography by Malcolm J. Wilson and interviews by Don Corathers documenting Appalachian migration during the mid- to late-twentieth century. Along this path, Talkington was invited to participate in the Perceptions of Home Exhibit which was then in the creation and development stages. Talkington explained: “It was fun to take part and to have a front row seat as the exhibit was created and first displayed.” As Perceptions of Home has taken hold of people’s imaginations, it has emerged as a crucial historical and artistic testament to the urban Appalachian experience.
Perceptions of Home became a project of UACC when UAC folded; subsequently we developed the Urban Appalachian Story Gathering Project to continue the documentation of urban Appalachian life. When UACC was considering how to shape our ongoing work as part of our recent long-rage planning project, we called upon Jim to join an advisory committee about these activities. This group led to the Kith and Kin Project described in a previous post. Now, Jim’s professional work has brought him back around to the Perceptions of Home Exhibit as he begins the process of preserving the exhibit: “Just recently I’ve become involved in the historic preservation and digitization of the project, so that it can be accessed by an international audience, and for years to come.” As such, Jim Talkington’s work is absolutely vital as the exhibit ages and subsequently takes on still greater significance. As Talkngton put it, “the folks that conceived the project had a wonderful vision that has withstood the test of time.”
Along with his preservation work with Perceptions of Home, Talkington has taken on a similar role with the Kith and Kin’s Story Gathering Project to help the story continue.You too can help the story continue by participating in the next training for the Kith and Kin Story Gathering Project on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, from 6-8 pm. More information is on the flyer included with this post or by emailing [email protected].
The work Jim Talkington does is all part of his own business called Talkington Media. Talkington told me he has been self-employed most of his adult life. After working for a non-profit for a time, he decided to build his own business. Talkington Media specializes in helping businesses and non-profits “share their stories with honesty and authenticity, focusing on a friendly, editorial style of storytelling that viewers will find relatable.” It is this expertise that Talkington brings to working with UACC and with other businesses and non-profits from all over. Really, it would seem his life-long passion for photography and his early experiences as a young urban Appalachian found an ideal expression in his current business venture.
Even though he seems plenty busy, I asked Jim what was up next for him. He explained that family is the priority for him: “Family and friends are a priority in my life, and taking advantage of the time we’re afforded,” he explained. Still, he said he stays busy with commercial work these days. He is working with younger photographers to pass along the benefits of his experience just as others did for him. Jim Talkington said he has considered retirement at some point in his life, but he is pretty happy with how things are working. As he said: “I have dreams of retiring someday but when work is so enjoyable, I’m not quite sure what that will look like.” There is that old saw that says if you find a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. A suppose there is some truth to it after all, and Jim Talkington appears to have embraced it.
Jim Talkington has been something of a lifelong friend of the Urban Appalachian Community Coalition. From his early participation in the creation of the Perceptions of Home Exhibit to his current work preserving the exhibit and video and audio archives for Kith and Kin, Talkington is a solid partner in the work of UACC. We are genuinely grateful for his professional contributions, and just as grateful to call him a friend.
For more information on Jim Talkington and Talkington Media:
Website: https://www.talkingtonmedia.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-talkington/
Kith and Kin’s website-in-progress can be found here: https://www.uacckithandkin.org/
Michael Templeton is a writer, and independent scholar. He is the author of The Chief of Birds: A Memoir published with Erratum Press and Impossible to Believe, forthcoming from Iff Books. He is also the author of Collected Apoems, forthcoming from LJMcD Communications and the awaiting of awaiting: a novella, forthcoming from Nut Hole Publishing. Check out his profile in UACC’s Cultural Directory. He has published numerous articles and essays on contemporary culture and works of creative non-fiction as well as experimental works and poetry. He lives in West Milton, Ohio with his wife who is an artist.