Letter from the
It ’ s likely no surprise that our staff is comprised of lifetime readers . Anytime we ’ re together , we swap titles and authors we think the others will enjoy . We cross all genres , formats and platforms .
It ’ s also probably not surprising that we feel lucky to have been born not only in the United States but in West Virginia , where we get to work on a publication that showcases the best of our state . My husband , Adam , and I are thrilled to raise our three young children among the hills and valleys of our youth , so close to our families . The relationship our children have with their grandparents is truly one of our greatest blessings .
With all the demands on my time — running a publishing company and raising those three small children — I don ’ t often have time to read a hard copy book . Instead , I use my driving , laundry folding and house cleaning time to listen to audiobooks .
I recently listened to two intriguing books : “ The Glass Castle ” by Jeannette Walls and “ Demon Copperhead ” by Barbara Kingsolver . Both brought the socioeconomic challenges of West Virginia and Appalachia to the forefront . While one is a biography and the other is fiction , they both speak volumes about the Appalachian region and the stereotypes we face .
Unfortunately , we all have stories about non-natives asking us insulting and belittling questions . It has been a constant fight for me , here at the magazine , alongside so many others .
When traveling out of state , I always wear something that proudly displays West Virginia and make it my job to properly represent the state . On the flipside , when meeting those visiting our state , I make sure to ask them where they ’ re from , what they ’ re doing and if there ’ s anything I can do to make their trip more enjoyable as over my last 20 years in publishing , I have amassed quite the knowledge base of fun things to do in West Virginia .
What struck me most while reading “ Demon Copperhead ” was a passage in chapter 62 . In all my years of dealing with this negativity , I have never dwelled on the crux of the issue and where it started . I think this book helped focus on the why .
A friend of the main character explains , “ Demon ! I know why we ’ re the dogshit of America , it ’ s a war , and it ’ s been going on the whole time , and nobody gets it , not even us ... He claimed he was on the right track as far as the two kinds of economy people , land versus money . But not city people against us personally . It ’ s the ones in charge , like government or what have you . They were always on the side of the moneyearning people , and down on the land people ... The main one I could understand was that money-earning ones pay taxes . Whereas you can ’ t collect shit on what people grow and eat on the spot , or the work they swap with their neighbors . That ’ s like a percent of blood from a turnip . So , the ones in charge started cooking it into everybody ’ s brains to look down on the land people , saying we are an earlier stage of human , like junior varsity or cavemen .”
To some , our way of life in many parts of Appalachia is viewed as less than . While this leaves me feeling hopeless at times , I dive into the editorial content of the next issue and use that as motivation . I hope you find similar inspiration and pride when getting to know the 2025 Class of Young Guns . They , like many of us , have chosen to fight the battles of our beautiful state daily , and I find that deeply inspirational .
Thanks for reading , and drop me a note if you have any must-reads that our team should add to our list . •
Kensie Hamilton Fauber Publisher
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE