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*This episode originally aired August 1, 2024*

Barbara Kingsolver's novel just keeps on giving: this month she opened the Higher Ground Women's Recovery Residence in my home county of Lee (VA) because, as she says in this episode, what Demon needed most was his mother. In this episode, the eastern Kentucky native gives her last talk on her novel, Demon Copperhead on the campus of The University of Virginia's College at Wise following our discussion in Part I. She reads from the opening scene of the novel; talks about the places that inspired her in Lee County, Virginia (my home county and the setting for the book); expands on her extensive research process and how she found Demon's voice; and discusses the the recovery center she promised would be opening (and it did). Later, she talks about her writing process, what she's reading now, and what it was like to find out she had won the Pulitzer Prize.

Enjoy "The Waiting" by Tiffany Williams (https://tiffanymwilliams.com/about/) in this episode, and stream more of her music on Spotify.

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Unless another artist is featured, acoustic music on most episodes: "Steam Train" written by Elizabeth Cotten and performed by Landon Spain