Interview with Mimi Pickering, August 17, 2015

Partial Transcript: Um, it's August 17th, 2015. We're here at Appalshop.

Segment Synopsis: Mimi Pickering is introduced. She talks about growing up in Palo Alto, California and discusses the political climate in her community. She talks about the impact of the Vietnam War, radical student groups at school, joining youth groups, and the beginning of her interest in documentaries.

Keywords: Adlai Stevenson; Bay Area Revolutionary Union; Churches; Documentaries; Election of 1960; Films; German; Helen Pickering; High School (1968 film); High school; John F. Kennedy; Joseph Pickering; Leftist politics; Mothers; Palo Alto (Calif.); Political ideology; Radicalism; Richard Nixon; Social climate; Social issues; Stanford; Youth groups

Subjects: Families.; Genealogy; United States--Politics and government; Vietnam War, 1961-1975

Partial Transcript: That now raises a, a question I had, um, about the, the women's movement.

Segment Synopsis: Pickering talks about the combination of feminist and Marxist ideals, and talks more about the activism and political climate in her childhood community. She talks about her first experiences learning about Appalachia.

Keywords: Activism; Black Panthers; Capitalism; Hippie movement; John L. Lewis; Labor unions; Life Magazine; Marxism; Political ideology; Social climate; Social issues; War on Poverty; Washington, D.C.; Women's rights movement

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Civil rights movements; Feminism; United States--Politics and government; Women's rights

Partial Transcript: And so you--did you immediately go then to Antioch?

Segment Synopsis: Pickering talks about her trip through Europe, both as a high school freshman with her family, and after graduation in 1971 with her friends. She talks about attitudes she encountered there regarding the Vietnam War and the shootings at Kent State.

Keywords: American Field Service (AFS); Attitudes; Eurail; Europe; Greece; Kent State Massacre; Santorini, Greece; Vacations; Yugoslavia

Subjects: Kent State Shootings, Kent, Ohio, 1970; Vietnam War, 1961-1975

Partial Transcript: I mean, and, and right then I assume you--were--you were starting to think about college yourself.

Segment Synopsis: Pickering talks about why she chose to attend Antioch College and about her experiences there. She talks about how she became involved with activities in Appalachia and talks about some of the organizations and people she was involved with.

Keywords: Arnold Miller; Black Lung Association; Black lung movement; Charleston (W. Va.); Designs For Rural Action; Disabled Miners and Widows of West Virginia; Gibbs Kinderman; Internships; Mottos; West Virginia

Subjects: Antioch College.; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Coal mines and mining--Appalachian Region; College students--Conduct of life.; Education, Higher

Partial Transcript: I appreciate that you've shared, uh, your memories of Charleston, why it was attractive to you.

Segment Synopsis: Pickering talks about her first impressions of Appalachia, and talks about how she became involved with creating media in and about the area. She talks about how they acquired their equipment, some of the early scenes they filmed, and the social issues the films were addressing. She talks about the idea of creating media to address the issues in the area, and ways to provide the local people with access to the media.

Keywords: "The Struggle of Coon Branch Mountain"; Bill Hamilton; Bill Richardson; Black Lung Association; Black Lung movement; Cable television; Charleston (W. Va.); Class issues; Coal operators; Community organizing; Culture shock; Equipment; Filming; Films; George Stoney; Gibbs Kinderman; Hazel Dickens; Head Start; Maxine Kenny; Media; Meetings; Mingo County (W. Va.); Nimrod Workman; Politics; Social issues; Steina Vasulka; Video; Woody Vasulka

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalshop, Inc.; Coal miners; Coal mines and mining--Appalachian Region; Documentary films.; Mass media and technology.; Motion pictures--Production and direction.; Strikes and lockouts--Coal mining

Partial Transcript: So we get from here, uh--you--so you were working some with George Stoney and some with Gibbs, um, and we go from here to talk about "Coon Branch Mountain."

Segment Synopsis: Pickering talks about the process of creating the film "The Struggle of Coon Branch Mountain." She talks about the people involved, how the ideas and story of the film evolved, filming the scenes, editing the film, and the music used in the film. She discusses why many people on Coon Branch never saw the final film.

Keywords: Andy Mullins; Attitudes; Bertie Powell; Bill Richardson; Charleston (W. Va.); Cliff Frasier; Community Film Workshop Council (CFWC); Community schools; David Stern; Editing; Equipment; Film screenings; Filmmaking; Fires; Gibbs Kinderman; Government; Governor Arch A. Moore, Jr.; Learning; Lloyd Mullins; Local people; McDowell County (W. Va.); Musicians; One-room schools; Peter Tarzian; Photographs; Process; Shelby Lee Adams; Songs; Stereotypes; Steve Craft; Teachers

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachians (People) in motion pictures; Appalshop, Inc.; Documentary films.; Education--Appalachian Region; Mass media and technology.; Motion pictures--Production and direction.; Political corruption; Rural schools--Appalachian Region

Partial Transcript: Uh, I'm, I'm curious to know in, in your sort of thinking--uh, was there--you said you got the bug for film making but, um, was there a moment when you decided, "Oh, this is where I need to be."?

Segment Synopsis: Pickering talks about whether she was afraid to be filming in Whitesburg, Kentucky after another filmmaker had been shot by a local man. She talks about the attitudes of other people in the area towards Appalshop and filmmakers. She talks about how Appalshop films attempt to dispel stereotypes about Appalachia.

Keywords: "The Love House"; Antioch College; Attitudes; Danger; Generations; Hobart Ison; Housing; Hugh O’ Connor; Moose Breeding; Shootings; Stereotypes; Whitesburg (Ky.)

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachians (People) in motion pictures; Appalshop, Inc.; Documentary films.; Mass media and technology.; Motion pictures--Production and direction.

Partial Transcript: But now we, you know we weren't very--our movies weren't very political, overtly political, in the beginning.

Segment Synopsis: Pickering says many of Appalshop's early films were meant to be less political, and she discusses why some people in the area were against this neutral attitude. She talks about learning of the flood at Buffalo Creek and talks about the process of making her film about the disaster.

Keywords: "The Buffalo Creek Flood: An Act of Man"; "The Mountain Eagle"; "The Struggle of Coon Branch Mountain"; Attitudes; Buffalo Creek flood; Citizens hearings; Disasters; Harry Caudill; Logan County (W. Va.); Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO); Social issues; Stripmining; Telegrams; Tom Gish; Union Carbide; War on Poverty

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachians (People) in motion pictures; Appalshop, Inc.; Documentary films.; Mass media and technology.; Motion pictures--Production and direction.; Politics and government

Partial Transcript: So I'm hearing in that something I've already heard in your, your experiences y--and that's that you had several projects going all, all at the same time.

Segment Synopsis: Pickering talks about her process of making films, and discusses her involvement with the film "Millstone Sewing Center," which she edited. She talks about how she became involved with the project, and talks about the purpose of the film. She discusses funding of OEO programs including Appalshop and the Millstone Sewing Center itself, and talks about the impact of federal funding in the area. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Bill Richardson; Churches; Cinema verite; Donations; Editing; Faith; Federal government programs; Filmmaking methods; Films; Funding; Government assistance; Impact; Involvement; Mabel Kiser; Music; Nixon administration; Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO); Process; Projects; Religion; War on Poverty; “Chemical Valley"

Subjects: Appalachian Region--Religion; Appalachian Region--Social conditions; Appalachians (People) in motion pictures; Appalshop, Inc.; Documentary films.; Government agencies; Mass media and technology.; Motion pictures--Production and direction.; Politics and government; Women--Appalachian Region