A Guide to Folk Taxonomy by Aaron Blum

Issue 71

Appalachia pulls at me like a haunted memory. It is a place of nebulous forests, moss blankets and dark corners where secrets are kept and folklore thrives. 

Human nature moves us to classify the things that make up our world. We describe our culture and surroundings through self-made dialect called folk taxonomy. This type of language and folklore helps to create and sustain regional identities and pass our existence on to future generations.

A Guide To Folk Taxonomy infuses Appalachian mystery with pseudo-scientific study as well as personal experience as a lifetime Appalachian resident. I see this place through idealized eyes of wonder. These images are my folklore.

Aaron Blum lives and works in Pittsburgh, PA.
To view more of Aaron's work, please visit his website.