From the Editor: Summer 2025

I spend quite a bit of time each issue thinking over this “Letter from the Editor” and what to share with our subscribers. I have really enjoyed sharing insight from past issues, information about festivals around the state, and family recipes these past three years that I have had the privilege to serve as editor for this publication.  

In 2024, as we were celebrating our 50th year, I wrote a lot about traditions and the legacy of this publication. This is a legacy I take seriously as a West Virginian, since we have so seldom had a place for our stories to be heard; a place for memories, traditions, and heritage to be preserved for future generations as told by our own people; a place of pride and integrity—I am honored to be able to continue this legacy. Some folks may not realize that a copy of each issue goes to the Library of Congress and the American Folklife Center. We have subscribers from all across the country, including institutions like the New York Public Library and Harvard College Library. We have folks calling in from places like Canada and Australia, inquiring about Goldenseal. That is an impressive reach for one State folklife publication, a reach that we will continue to grow with the upcoming changes to Goldenseal. 

We’ve discussed before all of the ways this publication has grown and changed over the years—from 40 pages as our parent magazine Hearth & Fair, on to 72 pages as Goldenseal, eventually growing to 88 pages. We even discussed some of the ways it hasn’t changed—our core values and mission will always remain the same. For 51 years we have had the privilege of being able to produce this quarterly in-print publication—that is quite a feat in today’s world of print publications. 

Publication was put on hold while we reassessed a new path forward. You probably have begun to wonder what changes are in store for Goldenseal, and if we will be able to stick it out for another 51 years. Though we would have relished the opportunity to make these changes gradually, adding this new digital platform to Goldenseal’s offerings will allow us not only to continue but to evolve. I know we have many loyal subscribers who have stuck with us over the last five decades. Some of you from the very beginning. Words cannot say how much we appreciate your support and willingness to let Goldenseal help share your stories not only with West Virginia, but with the world.  Despite any changes set to take place, we plan to continue that practice. I am committed to steering this publication  forward in the best possible way.

These new changes will afford us the opportunity to continue sharing our publication online, as well as share more supplemental material that we wouldn’t traditionally have the space to share—videos of talented artists at work, performances from our State’s many talented musicians, more in-depth articles, additional pictures, a continuation of podcast content, a place for the archives of Goldenseal to call home allowing us to share photos, audio clips, and digital copies of all our back issues for the public to access.  

Going forward, we will no longer be a subscriber-based publication but, once again, a state-supported publication. Things will look different going forward, but though our publication model is changing, the print version is not going away. Goldenseal will be publishing the entire volume from that year in a commemorative book with print versions of the magazine’s content will be produced annually and made available to purchase for those who want to keep their printed collection growing. This is something we are excited about creating for folks to add to their collections.

We will also be increasing our content through partnerships with West Virginia universities and schools, beginning with West Virginia University at Parkersburg, featuring short-form, student-written articles that highlight the youth of Appalachia, alongside the longer-form pieces from the paid contributors who have worked with Goldenseal for years. We will still be contributor driven and welcome folks to reach out and share their stories. You can find more information about contributing at the bottom of the webpage by clicking “WRITE FOR US.”

These changes will afford us the opportunity to engage more young people in folklife, something I already see happening in programs from the West Virginia Humanities Council, like their Folklife Apprenticeship Program. We hope this new format will allow us to bridge the gap between past and present, ensuring our stories are shared with future generations, instilling a knowledge and appreciation for our cultural heritage—and, as always, helping people to tell their story. We hope you will join us on this new journey.

Laiken Blankenship

Editor