Sour, Callie2025-12-062025-12-062025-11-19https://hdl.handle.net/10177/41259Raven’s Ridge, Chapter 1, is the opening installment of a full-length children’s novel that blends magical realism, regional folklore, and social history to reimagine the cultural narrative of Appalachia. Set along a river valley rich with memory and myth, the chapter follows young Frances Glum as she and her family journey to their new home aboard a whimsical bubble-powered sternwheeler. During the voyage, the enigmatic Captain Suds reveals the origins of the long-rumored haunting of the town’s Mingo Theater, an early hint at the deeper mysteries and community struggles Frances will soon encounter. The broader project responds directly to the reductive stereotypes that have long framed Appalachian people, particularly those perpetuated since the sensationalized media coverage of the Hatfield and McCoy feud. Through storytelling rooted in authentic lived experience, the novel aims to uplift the creativity, resilience, and complexity of Appalachian artists and communities. It also weaves in underrepresented episodes of American labor history, including the coal wars and their ties to contemporary workers’ rights, offering young readers an accessible entry point into themes of justice, solidarity, and environmental stewardship. Created from my point of view as an Appalachian multi-media artist raised in a theater rumored to be haunted and in a town still living with the effects of industrial pollution, this project is both personal and aspirational. It imagines a community that successfully defends itself against exploitation, and insists on the power of art and narrative to help envision a more equitable future. The chapter is just over 1,700 words and is accompanied by two miniature 3D sets crafted primarily from recycled and found materials, serving as tactile illustrations. Together, the written and sculptural components form a cohesive chapter.Clay, Cardboard, Paper, Acrylic Paint, Hot Glue, Wood, Foam, Wire, Grass, Moss, Dirt, Archival Photo PaperChildren's Literature, Books, Photography, Miniatures, Appalachia, Craft, Mystery