Interview with Tom Hansell, March 4, 2016

Partial Transcript: Alright, this is Jeff Keith today with Tom Hansell.

Segment Synopsis: Hansell discusses his childhood moving around the country for his father's military career (at first), his college education, and various jobs. He talks about finally settling down in Dayton, Ohio and what it was like being uprooted so many times.

Keywords: Campus; Fort Lewis Military Base; GI Bill; Katherine Crum Hansell; New York; Ohio; Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania Military College; Roots; Thomas Stevenson Keller Hansell Sr.; University of Delaware; University of Virginia; Vietnam; Widener University; Wright State University

Subjects: Childhood; Dayton (Ohio); Education; Education, Higher; Family histories.; Tacoma (Wash.)

Partial Transcript: Actually, by the time I was in high school, I kind of hated the suburbs and was actually finding my way more into the cities.

Segment Synopsis: Hansell discusses how he began to find himself in high school through punk and DIY culture. He talks about rebelling against Reagan and Bush, as well as advocating for environmental justice. He mentions how the family camping trips he went on in his childhood pushed him towards his stance on environmental issues, and his father's experiences in and after the Vietnam War pushed him towards taking an anti-war stance in terms of the Gulf Wars. He also discusses the vocational radio program that he worked for during his junior and senior year in high school that helped him determine the path that he wanted to go down after high school.

Keywords: "Chemical Valley"; Anti-war; Broadcasting program; Camping; Coal towns; Commercial broadcasting; Corps of Engineers; DIY culture; Environmental issues; George H. W. Bush; Gulf War; Injustice; Jeff Dunn; Ken Carper; Misunderstood; Natural world; Ohio University; Punk; Radio stations; Rebellion; Right to Know Law; Ronald Reagan; Skateboarding; Thomas (W. Va.); Vocational radio program; WCWT; WMMT; Warehouses; Zines

Subjects: Dayton (Ohio); Environmental and conservation law; Environmental justice.; Identity (Psychology); Political activists.; Radio.

Partial Transcript: When I think of Dayton, one of the things I definitely think about is Appalachian out-migration and I'm curious if you, in your high school years, were aware of there being mountain kids around.

Segment Synopsis: Hansell discusses whether or not he was actively aware of Appalachian culture while living in Ohio and going on camping trips with his family.

Keywords: Appalachian out migration; Bluegrass; Camping; Cornbread; Dances; Funk; Kentucky; Mammoth Cave; Ohio Players; Red River Gorge; Slaves; West Virginia

Subjects: Appalachia; Dayton (Ohio); Music.

Partial Transcript: Okay, t, then, I'm interested to know how it was that you ended up choosing to go to Ath, Athens.

Segment Synopsis: Hansell discusses entering college and working for the student radio station with his own show where he played whatever he wanted. He talks about expanding his interest in environmental issues and channeling that interest into a documentary that he wanted to make without knowledge of what he wanted to do. He discusses going to a film festival and seeing Anne Lewis's documentary "On Our Own Land" and being fascinated by it. This led to him watching all the Appalshop, Inc. films available to him through the Ohio University library and approaching new faculty member Jack Wright about an independent study.

Keywords: "On Our Own Land"; Anne Lewis; Broadcasting program; Coal; Commercial broadcasting; Documentary; Environmental issues; Equipment; Film festivals; Imagination; Independent studies; Interests; Jack Wright; Metal; National Public Radio (NPR); Ohio University; Paper mills; Production classes; Projects; Punk; Radio stations; Strip mines; WCWT; WMMT; Zines

Subjects: Appalachia; Appalshop, Inc.; Athens (Ohio); Documentary films.; Education; Education, Higher; Environmental justice.; Film.; Political activists.; Radio.

Partial Transcript: So, tell me, tell me about this project and about, uh, working with Jack.

Segment Synopsis: Hansell discusses the independent study he did in order to produce a film about the pollution created by the Mead Paper Mill in Chillicothe, Ohio. He talks about the people he interviewed for the film as well as the help that Jack Wright, his faculty member supervising his study, gave him during the process of filming and how Wright introduced him to his Appalshop, Inc. colleague, Anne Lewis.

Keywords: "Ready for Harvest: Clearcutting in the Southern Appalachians"; "They'll Cut Off Your Project: A Mingo County Chronicle"; Anne Lewis; Appalachian Ohio Public Interest Campaign (AOPIC); Appalachian studies; Blue Ridge Parkway; Faculty members; Funding; Health inspectors; Huey Perry; Independent studies; Jack Wright; Joy Huntley; Mead Paper Mill; Mentorship; Pat Adams; Pollution; Public broadcasting; Rural Action; Terry Adams; War on Poverty

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Athens (Ohio); Education; Education, Higher; Environmental justice.; Film.; Political activists.

Partial Transcript: But, I'm curious, how was it, how--what was it like applying for a position at Appalshop?

Segment Synopsis: Hansell discusses the long process of trying to interview for a position at Appalshop, Inc. and reminisces on the fun times he had while searching for the opportunity. He talks about attending a softball game with the Appalshoppers as well as Seedtime on the Cumberland, and the actual group interview that he underwent with Jim Webb, Rich Kirby, Mimi Pickering, Buck Maggard, and Ray Moore. He also discusses having to wait to hear back from the organization and having to move back home in the meantime, but moved to Whitesburg, Kentucky within two weeks of hearing that he got the job.

Keywords: Accents; Andy Garrison; Anne Lewis; Buck Maggard; Dee Davis; Election day; Equipment; Interviews; Jack Wright; Jim Webb; Lake Junaluska; Larry Childers; Lee Sexton; Memorial Day; Mimi Pickering; Nancy Adams; Newspaper delivery; Old 23; Quilts; Ray Hicks; Ray Moore; Rich Kirby; Seedtime on the Cumberland; Softball games; Work experience

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Film.; Jobs & careers; Radio.

Partial Transcript: I remember the first night I stayed in the casa, um, which is the house that's now owned by Appalshop, but at that point it was just full of Appalshop people that were renting it and there was a spare room...

Segment Synopsis: Hansell discusses some of the tasks that he performed as assistant public affairs and program manager, such as organizing equipment closets and running a radio show called "Whole Grain Elevator" created by program director of WMMT, Jim Webb. He also briefly talks about recording school board meetings during the Kentucky school reform years.

Keywords: "Nebitt's Lime Soda Song"; "The Memory of Elizabeth Cotton"; "Whole Grain Elevator"; Anthony Slone; Assistant public affairs and program manager; Closets; Community; Equipment; Gear; Jim Webb; Kentucky school reform; Meetings; Minutemen; Negativland; News programming; Program directors; Transmitters; WMMT

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Jobs & careers; Music.; Radio shows; Radio.

Partial Transcript: But I wanted to pick up on something you just shared.

Segment Synopsis: Hansell discusses his involvement with the Appalshop School Initiative, a program he and Robert Gipe established to teach film techniques to teachers to use in their classrooms. He also briefly talks about working with the Appalachian Media Institute (AMI).

Keywords: A. B. Combs Elementary School; Advisers; Appalachian Media Institute (AMI); Appalshop School Initiative; Art Meets Ed; Cordia School; Enthusiasm; Film and Education Fund; Hazel Green School; Kentucky; Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA); Letcher County (Ky.); Lost Creek Elementary School; Mentorship; Mountain Eagle; Patronage systems; Professional development; R. W. Combs Elementary School; Robert Gipe; Site based councils; Teacher training; WMMT; Workshops

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Education; Film.; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky; Radio.; Rural conditions; Schools.

Partial Transcript: And now, t, this, this sort of work is overlapping with you still doing MMT work, but, um, I guess a, a final piece to what you were taking on...

Segment Synopsis: Hansell discusses how he balanced working for WMMT as well as helping filmmakers in Appalshop, Inc. make their films. He talks about the Film Union and how it functions, as well as the role it played in gaining funding for the organization.

Keywords: "Evelyn Williams"; "Girls' Hoops"; "The Ralph Stanley Story"; Anne Lewis; Ben Zickafoose; Budgets; Contracts; Dee Davis; Equipment; Evelyn Williams; Film Union; Grants; Herb E. Smith; John Cleveland; Justine Richardson; Kentucky Educational Television (KET); Kentucky Fair Tax Coalition; Kentucky Fund for Independent Production; Mentors; Official meetings; Program plans; Project directors; Roadside Theater; Robert Gipe; Safety meetings; Steve Ruth; Sunrise; Understanding; University of Kentucky Appalachian Center; WMMT

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Film.; Filmmakers; Funding; Jobs & careers

Partial Transcript: I'm curious to get you to address more of this, this issue of mentorship.

Segment Synopsis: Hansell discusses the importance of mentorship in the learning process of Appalshop, Inc. and he mentions specific people that he was close with that he considered to be mentors. He talks about his peer group in the organization and the reasons why the group split up.

Keywords: "Bluegrass, Blackmarket"; "Headwaters: Real Stories From Rural America"; Anne Lewis; Appalachian Media Institute; Bill Richardson; Buck Maggard; Connections; Dee Davis; Driving; Elizabeth Barret; Founding generation; French-Eversole Feuds; Grants; Gurney Norman; Hans Luxemburger; Harvard School of Education; Hazard City Hall; Hazard Herald; Helen Lewis; Herb E. Smith; Highlander; Informal; Information; Jack Wright; Jeff Wetstone; Jim Webb; Josephine Richardson; Justine Richardson; Learning; Memorial Day; Mimi Pickering; National Endowment for the Arts (NEA); Peer groups; Radio stations; Rich Kirby; Robert Gipe; Stephanie Wagner Wetstone; Students; Talking; The Sprouts; Value; WMMT; Walking tours

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Film.; Filmmakers; Hazard (Ky.); Mentors in the arts; Mentorship; Radio.

Partial Transcript: Well, you were talking about how you learned how to do funding and, and, uh, I guess the one question before we get to how you funded and made your first film is, is--that I have left is, uh, about these international exchanges.

Segment Synopsis: Hansell discusses the international exchanges that he participated in through Appalshop, Inc with Siberia, Ukraine, China, and Indonesia. He talks about the workshops that they did in each region as well as the activities that they participated in.

Keywords: Appalachian Media Institute; Artists; Asian Cultural Council; Back to the Homeplace; China; China Central Television; Cross-cultural connections; Elizabeth Barret; Exchange; Film festivals; Ford Foundation; Funding; Herb E. Smith; Indonesia; International exchange; Mine Safety Act; Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA); Siberia; Ukraine; Workshops; Yong Bi Bo; Youth media

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Culture shock.; Film.; Filmmakers; Mines and mineral resources.; Rural conditions; Travel.

Partial Transcript: Let me just get it started.

Segment Synopsis: Hansell discusses the philosophy that he and Appalshop, Inc. follow when it comes to filming, as well as the kinds of groups they support when it comes to social issues.

Keywords: "After Coal"; "Coal Bucket Outlaw"; "The Breaks of the Mountain: The Russell Fork Gorge"; "The Electricity Fairy: Appalachian Coal and America's Energy Future"; Dickenson County Citizens Committee; Java, Indonesia; Kentuckians for the Commonwealth; Local leadership; Production; Support

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Change.; Communities.; Documentary films.; Film.; Filmmakers; Political activists.

Partial Transcript: Did you, uh--was there a certain point of connection that led you towards, uh, your, your film on the breaks?

Segment Synopsis: Hansell discusses his film "The Breaks of the Mountain: The Russell Fork Gorge" that was released in 1999 and the reasoning behind the film, as well as the environmental issues that the film addresses. He talks about the Pine Mountain State Park that was established after the release of the film and his role in the Pine Mountain Trail Conference that helped to protect the area before the state of Kentucky took it over.

Keywords: "Coal Bucket Outlaw"; "The Breaks of the Mountain: The Russell Fork Gorge"; Conversations; El Horendo; Elkhorn City Heritage Council; Gatlinburg (Tenn.); Herb E. Smith; Kentucky Educational Television (KET); Kentucky Tourism Cabinet; Marketing; Pine Mountain State Park; Pine Mountain Trail Conference; Visions; Whitewater Race

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Documentary films.; Environmental justice.; Film.; Filmmakers; Political activists.; Tourism.

Partial Transcript: So what I, what I guess I want to hear you talk about a little bit is how these four films do have certain stylistic--there's stylistic continuity, but you're also clearly trying different things.

Segment Synopsis: Hansell discusses the connections that he made within the films through the content, as well as how the stylistic techniques he used progressed throughout each film. He also talks about how the topic for a film has to be relevant throughout time and not just relevant in one moment.

Keywords: "After Coal"; "Coal Bucket Outlaw"; "Spectres of the Spectrum"; "Stranger with a Camera"; "The Breaks of the Mountain: The Russell Fork Gorge"; "The Buffalo Creek Flood: An Act of Man"; "The Electricity Fairy: Appalachian Coal and America's Energy Future"; "Tribulation 99: Alien Anomalies Under America"; Archival footage; Audiences; Benefits; Carl Greer; Coal truck drivers; Coalfields; Craig Baldwin; Emma Hickey; Fiction; George W. Bush; Herbie Adams; ITVS; Kim Greer; Local politics; Music; Narration; National energy policy; Pat Beaver; People; Power plants; Rivers; Scripts; Sequences; Stresses; Themes; Wales; War on Coal

Subjects: Appalachia; Appalshop, Inc.; Coal industry; Documentary films.; Film.; Filmmakers; Mines and mineral resources.; Political activists.

Partial Transcript: I'd love to spend a little bit more time just talking about the "Coal Bucket" and, uh, "Electricity Fairy" community, uh, engagement.

Segment Synopsis: Hansell discusses his film "Coal Bucket Outlaw" that was released in 2002. He talks about the fight to lower weight limits on coal trucks in order to decrease the amounts of accidents, road damage, etc. He also discusses the way his film was used after the release.

Keywords: "Coal Bucket Outlaw"; "The Electricity Fairy: Appalachian Coal and America's Energy Future"; Carl Greer; Coal truck drivers; Community engagement; Dave Cooper; Herbie Adams; Judy Bonds; Kentucky Department of Transportation; Martin Slone; Mountain top removal; Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (OVEC); Rebecca Boggs; Route 23; Roy Crawford; Safety advocates; Seedtime on the Cumberland; Weigh stations; Weight limit; West Virginia General Assembly

Subjects: Appalachia; Appalshop, Inc.; Coal industry; Film.; Filmmakers; Political activists.; West Virginia

Partial Transcript: The, uh, uh, the thing--I, I, I'm struck by "Electricity Fairy" as a film--actually, I remember that I watched it for the first time at Appalshop.

Segment Synopsis: Hansell discusses his film "The Electricity Fairy: Appalachian Coal and America's Energy Future" that was released in 2010. He talks about the reaction to the film by organizations that had helped produce it, as well as organizing a project called The Wise Energy Forums that allowed citizens of Wise County, Virginia to communicate about what they wanted to happen with their community.

Keywords: "After Coal"; "Rawhead & Bloodybones"; "The Electricity Fairy: Appalachian Coal and America's Energy Future"; Appalachia's Bright Future Conference; Appalachian Sustainable Development; Appalachian Voices; Brian Harnetty; Community Farm Alliance; Community feedback; Derek Mullins; Economic diversification; Just transition; Kathy Selvage; Kentucky Fair Tax Coalition; Mountain Empire Community College; Ray Moore; Renew Collective; Soundtracks; Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards; Southern Environmental Law Center; Strip mining; Sustainable agriculture; The Wise Energy Forums Project; Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Documentary films--Production and direction.; Documentary films.; Film.; Filmmakers; Wise County (Va.)

Partial Transcript: What was the context for your departure and h--uh--was it, was it complicated trying to finish that and, and pursue a graduate degree?

Segment Synopsis: Hansell discusses his departure from Appalshop, Inc., as well as attaining his graduate degree from Goddard College while maintaining his family and working full time. He also talks about the legacy of Appalshop, Inc. and his feelings towards the organization after leaving.

Keywords: "After Coal"; "The Electricity Fairy: Appalachian Coal and America's Energy Future"; Appalachian State University; Editing; Goddard College; High Rocks Academy; Higher Ground Project; Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative; Legacy; Resources; Robert Gipe; Seedtime on the Cumberland; Value

Subjects: Appalshop, Inc.; Education, Higher; Film.; Filmmakers