The Resilience of the Appalachian Word

When people think of a thriving literary hub, it is unlikely that Appalachia comes to mind, but according to local booksellers, this is far from true. These sellers engage with the community to combat the challenges of the Appalachian literary scene. Such challenges include local literacy rates, rebuilding a sense of community since the isolation imposed by COVID-19 and challenging the preconceived notions people have of the region.

Johnson’s Literary Depot: Bridging the literacy gap and connecting communities

A boy struggles to read at grade level. A teacher notices his struggle and takes time to help him. Years later, he frequents his local bookstore, still in love with reading.

For Johnson’s Literary Depot owner Andrew McElroy, this customer’s story carries an impact.

“Ultimately, that’s why I am a big reader, because I had adults that intervened at a very young age for me and helped me make sure that I stayed on track,” McElroy said.

He aims for Johnson’s Literary Depot to have the same impact in the community as part of his goal to increase the literacy of the area.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, an estimated 53% of Washington County adults read at or below a level two on the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies Literacy Scale (PIAAC). This means that 53% of Washington County adults read below proficiency level and are at risk for difficulty using or comprehending print material and performing tasks with text-based information, according to the PIAAC. Additionally, a 2022 study by the National Library of Medicine reports that student reading gains decreased during the pandemic among third through fifth graders.

Contributed//Johnson's Literary Depot

McElroy works to bridge these gaps in literacy by creating greater opportunities for both children and adults to engage with literature. At Johnson’s Literary Depot, kids aged 0 to 12 take home books for free as part of the store’s Kids Read for Free initiative.

“No matter where the kids are hanging out during the summer months or outside of school, they have access to books, no strings attached," McElroy said. "They’re taking those home and building their personal libraries, and they don’t ever have to bring them back."

Johnson’s Literary Depot partners with Johnson City Parks and Recreation and other community donors to provide this nonprofit initiative.

Johnson’s Literary Depot also aims to meet the literacy needs of the adult population with a broad selection of affordable used books.

McElroy also hopes to create a greater sense of community in the Johnson City area following the isolation of COVID-19.

“Since COVID, people are really asking for that third place,” McElroy said.

In addition to the bookstore, the East Main Street building houses yoga studio Soluna Sage and a co-working space.

“Our focus is really creating a community hub and taking care of people through all of the means of well-being,” McElroy said.

Atlas Books: Reframing Appalachia at home and beyond

Kate Bewley, co-owner of Atlas Books, works to reframe Appalachia through bringing together its diverse population and providing a more nuanced representation of the region.

Atlas Books, located online and inside of East Main Street’s The Generalist, focuses on Appalachian literature and how this exploration of Appalachian culture can bring people together.

“It’s bringing people together. It’s strengthening the community ties and encouraging people to see beyond their own world,” Bewley said.

Bewley hopes to give an underrepresented area a voice through the books Atlas sells and the space they provide. Bewley says that Atlas Books offers a selection curated for the community.

Atlas focuses on books that accurately reflect the experiences of people in the region, intending to help Appalachians see each other more clearly and helping those outside the region to understand the Appalachian people on a deeper, less prejudiced level.

“Appalachia is conceived in this light like poor, forgotten and backwards," Bewley said. I think it deserves a more nuanced understanding."

With its focus on Appalachian literature, Atlas sells books that give a platform to voices often hidden by the assumptions surrounding Appalachia.

“People have used a more tenuous connection to Appalachia and exploited that for their own benefit. You know the whole exploitative narrative thing," Bewley said. "It’s really trying to push away from that…Appalachia is not a monolith."

Atlas represents this statement by exploring the Appalachian experience through Appalachian words. Among others, the bookstore features Black authors, Native American authors and LGBTQ+ authors from the region.

Jan-Carol Publishing: Bringing voice to the Appalachian Mountains

A girl sits at her desk, writing about a lone flower on a hill outside the school’s window, when her teacher picks up her paper and reads it to the class, praising its beauty.

For Janie Jessee, owner of Jan-Carol Publishing, this moment holds significance on her path to becoming an editor.

Jessee has been in the publishing business for 24 years, beginning with the Voice Magazine for Women. Ten years later, she founded Jan-Carol Publishing.

“The purpose is to give the unknown an opportunity to publish their book and sell their book,” Jessee said.

The Johnson City-based publisher prioritizes local authors who may not otherwise have the opportunity to publish their work. Sometimes this includes people looking to tell family stories or share pieces of historical fiction set in the Appalachian Region.

“Being from this region, there’s so much talent here, so much unknown talent,” Jessee said.

Contributed//Jada Goulds

This talent, Jessee says, often goes unseen, hidden within the mountains of Appalachia. Jan-Carol Publishing works to change that, providing an opportunity for local authors to exercise their talent and distribute it outside of the region.

While their bookstore is completely online, Jessee hopes to open a physical location in the upcoming years to further magnify local voices.

Appalachian Resilience

In spite of the region’s apparent isolation, a vibrant literary community lives and grows in the Appalachian Mountains. These Johnson City bookstores aim to feed this community and spread the local word to the world.