Perhaps no guests embodied the spirit of chatting on the porch with old friends quite as much as Big John Isner and Chuck Corra. Growing up in Parkersburg, West Virginia, both call Appalachia home. They started a podcast in December of 2019 in reaction to the difficult negative stereotypes Appalachian citizens encounter.

On their podcast, their camaraderie as comrades shines through conversations, including, but by no means limited to the origin of West Viriginias favorite cryptid, Mothman, their beef with Don Blankenship, and the historical precedence of “Mountain Dew Mouth”. They have episodes which allow for an escape from pandemic panic, but more recent episodes have focused squarely on accountability and political understanding. We highly recommend their interview with Rosemary Ketchum, newly elected city councilwoman of of Wheeling and West Virginia’s first ever openly transgender elected official. You can listen on Spotify, Apple Music, or your favorite audio streaming platform.

Our conversation primarily surrounded Chuck and Big John’s history and why they do what they do, as well as how they’re coping through Covid. We also spoke on what it means to claim radicalism in Appalachia, and why so many struggle to stay.