Exactly my point. It is hard to be taken seriously as an educated Appalachian resident; everyone, even those who should know better, assumes we are not very smart. That is partly why I wrote the poem, “Viney Parker’s Song,” in my book, Weaver’s Knot. I wanted to write about a woman who was a very productive member of the community, and whose legacy is still remembered by people in Western North Carolina. A woman who built community and inspired generations of her descendants.