Maternal Mysteries
Why did Mamaw have to be stopped from killing someone when she was 12? (What were they doing?)
Thieves were stealing the family cow
What road did the Applachians take to get to the Midwest?
Route 23; The “hillbilly highway”
What did Uncle Teaberry do in response to overhearing a man state a desire to “eat her panties” in reference to Mamaw?
Forced him at knifepoint to consume a pair of her underwear
Which stepfather made JD intervene in a domestic altercation in the kitchen between him and his mother?
Bob
“As Papaw knew when he was a young man, the best way up for the hillbilly was ___”
Where did JD call home?
Mamaw’s House in Jackson, Kentucky
Which two families were part of one of the most famous family feuds in American history?
Hatfield & McCoy
Name all four Banton men
Uncle Teaberry, Uncle Pet, Uncle David, Uncle Gary
What did Papaw and Mamaw do in response to Jimmy being reprimanded by a store clerk?
Destroyed a pharmacy
“Hillbillies like to add their own twist to many words. We call minnows ‘__’ and crayfish ‘__.’”
Minners and crawdads
How did Mamaw’s grandfather, Tilden, get a New York Times article written about him?
Killed a member of rival family, didn’t go to jail
What caused the two major waves of migration from Appalachia to the Midwest?
Lack of industrialization in Appalachia & need for work for veterans post World Wars
Which uncle beat a man unconscious and attacked him with an electric saw after the man insulted his mother?
Uncle Pet
What company recruited Papaw for his job in Ohio?
Armco Steel Corporation
“With Steve, a midlife-crisis sufferer with an earring to prove it, I pretended earrings were cool -- so much that he _____."
Thought it appropriate to pierce my ear, too.
Who was the main character of the movie JD’s mother made him watch to expose him to people of all walks of life?
Ryan White
What was the real reason that Mamaw and Papaw relocated?
Papaw’s affair with Mamaw and Mamaw’s subsequent pregnancy
What did Mamaw think the real reason was for which JD really loved the Blanton men?
So many father figures had come and gone, but the Blanton men were always there
Which political party was Papaw affiliated with?
Democratic Party
“...my primary aim is not to convince you of a documented problem. My primary aim is to tell a true story about what that problem feels like with it ________.”
Hanging around your neck
What was Mamaw’s true passion/dream career?
Children — she wanted to become a “children attorney” advocating for abused and disadvantaged kids
What was the term used by locals in Appalachia to describe the dental issues among the youth?
What was Uncle Teaberry’s ‘game’ that made JD leap into Mamaw Blanton’s arms?
Chasing him with a switchblade whilst telling him he’ll feed his ear to the dogs
How did Mamaw try to kill Papaw?
Set him on fire after coming home drunk
“In the southwest Ohio of my youth, we learned to value ______.”
Loyalty, honor, and toughness