Happiness and Hardship: A Day in the Life of a Coal Miner

Creator: Breeding, Amanda

: Breeding, Roy

: Christian, Fred

Amanda Breeding is a member of a coal mining family and did this project in part to find out how mines have changed over the years, to hear about the pony mines, and to learn more about scrip that miners were paid with. She interviewed her grandfather, Roy Breeding, and the father of her fiancée, Fred Christian- both of whom are coal miners. This 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.