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Welcome to the Love of Story
Holding local memory in place
"Stories...Grandpa told me stories. High on the mountain, I'd sit on the floor at Grandpa's feet. The warmth of fire crackling in the fireplace, the flickering shadows of the lamplight on the wall, the swish of the wind on the tin roof...all this intertwined with the sound of his voice as it echoed in the quiet of the room. He told stories of stalking panthers, of front porch music, of people born and people dying. And all his stories brought real-life drama to a little girl searching for heroes...heroes she could just reach out and touch." —Amy Ammons Garza Catch the Spirit of Appalachia is a group of dedicated Western North Carolina individuals who are holding local memory in place by saving, by sharing, by passing on the remnants of local memory and local human community by the ancient rule of neighborliness, by the love of precious family, by the passing down of family stories, and by the wish to have a sense of place...a sense of "home." STORIES OF MOUNTAIN FOLK RADIO SHOW—LISTEN ONLINE www.storiesofmountainfolk.com Hunter Library Partnership Will Result in Online Sound Collection Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC by Anna Fariello, Associate Research Professor Hunter Library, Digital Programs Western Carolina University’s Hunter Library has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, a local not for profit. Founded in 1989 by the Ammons sisters— Appalachian storyteller, Amy Ammons Garza, and Doreyl Ammons Cain, a visual artist—Catch the Spirit has undertaken numerous community projects and events. The mission of Catch the Spirit is to hold “local memory in place by saving, by sharing, by passing on the remnants of local memory and local human community.” “The settlers of Western North Carolina carried a sack of creativity on their shoulders when they came over the mountains,” says Garza, “for they had to create a new life in the rugged terrine, becoming one with the environment as they moulded a new lifestyle. At night and at gatherings, they told stories that were passed down to each following generation…stories told in their own voice. Saving the voices of the mountain folk has been a long time goal of Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, for listening to the mountain folk as they tell their own personal stories evokes evidence of an unmistakeable wisdom and sense of place. The stories they tell of local customs—such as Decoration Day; planting by the signs; and cakewalks—reflect a life dedicated to, and celebration of, their beliefs, heritage and love of family and community.” Beginning in September 2008, CSA began “Stories of Mountain Folk.” a half hour radio show that aired weekly on local radio station WRGC. When WRGC closed down this fall, CSA teamed up with Hunter Library to preserve the recorded material. Over a three-year period, Amy Ammons Garza and Doreyl Ammons Cain recorded two interviews per week produced as a half hour weekly radio show. Interviews are with local people who talk about traditions, events, and memories of western North Carolina. Over 150 half-hour radio programs will be made available through Hunter Library’s Digital Programs which creates online access to regional material. The programs will be loaded into the library’s massive database to create a searchable and accessible collection. The Stories of Mountain Folk collection will be tagged with terms that will make the stories searchable via the internet. The library has uploaded collections on Horace Kephart, Civil War letters, regional crafts, Cherokee traditions, and travel in western North Carolina. These are collections of photographs, documents, and objects. The Stories of Mountain Folk will be the library’s first sound collection. “I cannot tell you how my heart leapt when this agreement was signed,” says Garza. “So many stories will be saved! Stories such as told by Cliff Harris, from Franklin, who shares about his childhood in Concord, NC in a children’s home, talking specifically about Christmastime; told by 96 year-old Gladys Hooper of her early days in Jackson County as she started her family and built a home from the pieces of the abandoned Blackwood Lumber Company; told by David Ammons about learning to "bottom" chairs from his Grandpa Tom Ammons on Cullowhee Mountain: told by Jack Brown Wiggins from Robbinsville about his father Walter who was a farm agent in Graham County in the 1930s & 40s…and discusses the flood of 1940 in Jackson County; and so many more! “With this collaboration of the procurement and archival of the voices of Western North Carolina, it will forever establish the story "roots" of a certain people and their "homeplace," and save it's ancestral tree to blossom forever.” You can listen to some of the stories here: http://www.storiesofmountainfolk.com/ CURRENT EVENTS This website also contains our CURRENT EVENTS: Mountain youth talent shows, workshops & residences, community festivals, community plays, performance schedule and other events where dates or additions/cancellations may be made. The Purpose of Catch the Spirit of Appalachia Established in 1989, incorporated as a nonprofit organization in1991, the vision of Catch the Spirit of Appalachia (CSA) is to "Encourage youth to cherish their heritage & creativity and inspire connections with all cultures." Situated in Jackson County in Western North Carolina, CSA's mission is to treasure and preserve our regional Appalachian heritage and traditions through music and the arts.  2008 Planning Board: (l-r) Doreyl Ammons Cain, Judy Rhodes, Victoria McDonald, Etheree Chancellor, Irene Hooper, Pam Dengler, Mary Jo Cobb, Ray Menze Not shown in photo: Amy Ammons Garza Now Scheduling Performances, Residencies & Workshops Mountain Storytelling with The Ammons Sisters:
For Storytelling Performances & Workshops Contact: Doreyl Ammons Cain at (828) 293-2239
The Ammons Sisters Present Mountain Storytelling
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