BRISTOL, Va.-Tenn. (Sept. 3, 2025) – The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is excited to welcome folklorist Emily Hilliard for a memorable Speaker Session Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. ET, entitled “Making Our Future: Visionary Folklore and Everyday Culture in Appalachia.” There is no cost to attend.
In this thought-provoking talk, Hilliard will delve into the future-focused and collaborative approach to cultural work that she explores in her critically acclaimed book, Making Our Future: Visionary Folklore and Everyday Culture in Appalachia (UNC Press, 2022). Using a rich variety of examples—from the West Virginia Teachers’ Strike to non-professional women songwriters, Appalachian hot dogs to the legacy of independent pro-wrestling—Hilliard reveals how folklore serves as a dynamic and unifying force that connects the past to the present while shaping visions of the future.
Through her work, Emily Hilliard presents folklore not as static tradition, but as a vibrant, living practice that thrives in everyday life and collective action. Hilliard is currently a folklorist at Berea College and formerly served as the West Virginia State Folklorist, where she founded the West Virginia Folklife Program. Her book was named a finalist for the 2022 Weatherford Award in Nonfiction, which honors works that best illuminate the challenges, personalities, and unique qualities of the Appalachian South. She is also the co-founder and co-owner of the feminist record label SPINSTER.
To register for free to attend in person, visit the Events page at BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org. The program will also stream live on Radio Bristol’s YouTube channel.