43rd Annual Appalachian Studies Conference

43rd Annual Appalachian Studies Conference
Appalachian Understories

March 12-15, 2020
University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky

We human Appalachians are fortunate to have the world’s richest temperate forests grace our region. Inspiration for the 43rd Annual ASA Conference is rooted in these forests, and particularly in the easy-to-overlook portion of the woods known as “understory.” In the forest understory, plant and animal life grows between the earthen ground and the more visible canopy, in both shade and sunlight. Recognizing that forest understories are places of beauty and strength, the 2020 ASA Conference will bring to light the many voices of Appalachia that are often obscured. In the understories, people confront stereotypes, myths, marginalization, and violence and meet them with resilience and hope. In addition to native forests and forest-based human experiences, this gathering will highlight stories of Black Appalachians, women, gender, and sexuality, health and healing, and hope spots. Oral history and film-making, along with literature, music, photography, and other art forms, will be among our featured “understories” exploration methods. We also celebrate Appalshop’s 50th anniversary, revisiting the Whitesburg studio’s important documentary legacy and learning about the “understories” it continues to produce today. Like the forest that inspires us, and like the 42 previous ASA conferences, this gathering offers growth, beauty, hope, and nourishment.

For the first time ever, the conference will be held on the 30,000-student University of Kentucky campus in Lexington, which has long earned recognition for its leadership in Appalachian Studies. A broad range of UK colleges, centers, departments, and programs engage in research related to the Appalachian region. The ASA 2020 conference is hosted by the UK Appalachian Studies Center, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Graduate Appalachian Research Community, with additional sponsorship from a number of organizations and units within the University, local and regional communities, and the state. Many on-campus units will share their cutting-edge research, as will many of our internationally-recognized humanities, creative arts, social science, science, and medical scholars. Joining these on-campus events are off-campus field trips, events, activities, and performances.