We need to try to live in sync with our geography.

America does need to come up to the mountains to deal with some issues.

To me the clash of that culture is the beauty of Appalachia.

The whole point is why the mountains, the land, still determines our culture. The mountains sort of drive how we live.

My whole thesis is that you can't understand America until you understand Appalachia.

It's not just a backwoods of white, lanky mountaineers. In fact, it's been much more of a crossroads of integration and coming together of many different cultures there.