The Black Hole: The Effects of Coal Mining on the People of Southwest Virginia

Creator: Burke, Derek

: Burke, Irene

: Burke, James

In this project, Derek Burke interviewed his father James Burke who is a coal miner, and his grandmother Ethel Irene Burke who was married to a coal miner. One purpose of these interviews was to learn how modern mining had changed from the 1930s. This interview is among projects created by students enrolled in English 446 (initially English 452), “Appalachian Folklore,” 1981-2019, and in graduate level counterparts English 548 and 648 “Appalachian Folk Culture(s)” offered 17 fall semesters between 1987 and 2009. Minimally contain collector’s introduction and analysis, transcribed informant interviews, and excerpted and labeled examples of oral, customary, and/or material folklore/folklife collected primarily within the Appalachian region. Most include also tables of contents, informant information, indexes (outlines) of interviews, photographs, miscellaneous paper items, and indexes of informants, genres, and geographic locations. Accompanying audio recordings (several minutes to 2+ hours). Transferred to McConnell Library Archives & Special Collections from Appalachian Regional and Rural Studies Center, Fall 2013.