Category Archives: Jordan Laney

Folksinger Woody Guthrie with his famous Gibson Guitar (Photo by Al Aumuller)1         Introduction It is well known that the original writer of the song belted out by a David Bowie like-clad Lady Gaga, “This Land is … Continue reading →

At any site on the landscape, multiple definitions of a place are continually in play among those who reside or visit there, sometimes convivial and sometimes antagonistic. Ideas of property, of homeland, of natural resources, of infrastructure; of city, county, … Continue reading →

 Even a victorious strike will have its bitter side; even dazzling right choices will be followed by murky dilemmas with no clear solutions. The coal industry in particular and the American economy in general will still be in deep trouble. … Continue reading →

We realized that so many of the problems communities were dealing with were related to the economic system, and if we could not reform the economy—develop a moral economy, one which serves all the people—we could not solve health, education … Continue reading →

A Note to Readers This is a reflection on place and identity in Appalachia, on the relationship between the places where residents of that region labor and how they imagine themselves and are viewed by others. This is a reflection … Continue reading →

As another year at Virginia Tech ends, I am beginning to realize, identify, understand, and critically assess “my place in this place.”[1] I have learned parking on the third floor of the parking deck is the most productive use of … Continue reading →