Middle of Everywhere is an award-winning podcast that illuminates rural life through characters, stories, and place. It provides a deep nostalgic connection to small communities by exploring aspects of rural life that are poignant, relatable and true. Episodes explore diverse perspectives and stories, and break down stereotypes that often burden rural and small town America. Our podcast aims to entertain and engage through storytelling, while teaching something new about small towns and the people who live here. Middle of Everywhere has won two awards from the Public Media Journalists Association for its episodes IM GOD and Black Overseer of a Confederate Monument.
A production from WKMS public radio, as part of PRX’s Project Catapult with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Middle of Everywhere is a narrative podcast with episodes available for download on all podcast platforms. You can also connect with us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Photo by Christopher McIntosh
Photo by Jeremy McKeel
Ariel Lavery
Host and Managing Producer
Ariel grew up in and became disenchanted with suburbia early on. Since childhood, she yearned for rural farm life and has now made a chance landing in rural Murray, KY. She holds a BFA and MFA in Studio Art.“ I am driven to collect the stories and histories of rural folk, the people who , in some ways, have the most immediate connection to our history as a country. ”
Find Ariel on instagram @simpsoar
Meet Our Season 3 Team!
From top left to bottom right: Tracy Ross (Program Director, WKMS) Asia Burnett (Station Manager, WKMS), Josh Adair (Editor and Professor of English, MSU), Dixie Lynn (Corporate Support Manager, WKMS), and Ariel Lavery.