Hey y’all my name is Jessie McClanahan, and I’m from Southern West Virginia….

For all of you who know me and have seen me grow over the past 3 years during my graduate studies, you know how synonymous me and this statement, and state have become. When I was writing my submission packet to Syracuse University I made what I thought was a crazy choice to include an Appalachian dialect and the word y’all into my professional writing. I was tired of writing in what I felt was a different voice than my own. All because I thought my voice was unprofessional and uneducated; at least that was what I was used to being told. I didn’t want to feel like I had to be ashamed of being from West Virginia or that I ought not be proud of it. I'm extremely proud of my home and the people there regardless of the stereotypes that plague it. Little did I know that those feelings would become the foundation of my arts practice rather than just a part of it. As I exit graduate school, beginning a new journey, I take more pride than ever in being from Appalachia and getting to add to the academic discourse of what that means.

I'm published now?

At the top of this newsletter you'll find a link to my freshly published thesis. Wow!

What a great sentence to get to write. There were a lot of times in my life I wasn't sure where I was going to end up. I just had faith that my stubborn resolve to be a professional artist would pay off, and this feels like a huge step into that. So for everyone who has ever helped to support me, give me the tools to sculpt myself into the person I am, been a shoulder to cry one, or be there to enjoy success with ; this thesis is in part thanks to you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

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"I love the language of the cicadas and feel akin to them. Creatures that live their lives underground, waiting for their time to be served to come above ground. When they do, they scream a beautiful song that is just for themselves." -excerpt from Hollers, Hills, & Buckshot | Anthologies of Appalachia ​ Heres a little flashback to when I was featured on Inside Appalachia for my obsession with the lil' creatures; some things never change.

but where inthe world are you?

One of my favorite games as a kid was Where in the World is Carmen San Diego, and for my millennials reading this I hope you appreciate the pun I've used, because man do I feel like her right now.

I've finally touched down in Buenos Aires, Argentina after almost 2 months of moving a round. After graduating I packed up my life and studio into a u-haul, my dad's truck, and my station wagon and moved everything back to West Virginia. It was so wonderful to get spend so much time there seeing all the forest, and swimming in the rivers and lakes of my home with all my friends and family. I'd be remise to leave out the excitement of attending the Women Working with Clay Symposium. It was one of my favorite conference experiences I've had. To be surrounded by so much excitement and support with other women was a joy, and a welcome respite from the challenges of completing my thesis and moving back to WV.

So I'm sure you're wondering, okay so you moved back to West Virginia, that is not Buenos Aires, Argentina. You'd be right. After moving home for a few weeks I made a pit stop in Orlando, Florida and came to Argentina where I'll be living for a bit while I work on a new body of work.

I'll be spending the month or so in Buenos Aires while I get all of my ducks in a row to move to the northern reaches of the country where I'll be working in the Andes Mountains! Kinda crazy, I know. I feel a little crazy about it to be honest, but I want to explore craft and art in the other mountain regions of the world. Last year I found myself in the Province of Jujuy, a UNESCO Heritage site for arts and crafts. However, it sits within the Lithium triangle. As our insatiable need for energy grows so does our need for Lithium. As a person who has felt the effects of decades of extractive mining I'm fearful for this beautiful region and folks who have so tenderly held onto their arts and cared for the land. While I live in Tilcara I plan on working with a local weaver and set up the ground work for a Fullbright scholarship to do a larger research and creative project in the region. I want to keep a little tight lipped right now. A professor of mine once told me to not kill my babies. Plus, need something to write about later!