“As West Virginia writer V.C. McCabe put it, her hometown hot dog stand was a ‘building of memories.’”
–Southern Foodways Article by Emily Hilliard, WV State Folklorist
My full answer to her question about why hot dog stands are so beloved in WV was:
“comfort food, nostalgic of family picnics, and are community hubs for the same reason, tradition and good memories. Kids take their kids, etc. For example, until the flood Clendenin DQ provided first hotdogs, first dates, and first jobs for 60 yrs. A building of memories.”
Published by V. C. McCabe
V.C. McCabe is an Appalachian poet, the author of Give the Bard a Tetanus Shot (Vegetarian Alcoholic Press, 2019), a reader for Frontier Poetry, and an associate editor for the upcoming Nigerian National Poetry Prize. She was co-editor of the New International Voices series (Ice Floe Press), a contributing editor for Barren Magazine, and a music journalist for Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper The Charleston Gazette. Her work has appeared in ekphrastic exhibits and journals worldwide, including EPOCH, Poet Lore, Prairie Schooner, and The Minnesota Review. She has lived in Ireland and West Virginia. Her website is vcmccabe.com.
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