Long before I was a first-generation college student or Professor of Rhetoric and Composition, I was the son of a full-time West Virginia coal miner and part-time boxing coach, Mike “Lo” Snyder. For a short period of time, my father was one of the most respected boxing trainers in the state. For just over 40 […]
appalachian studies
Interview with Mike Snider (WV Series)
In anticipation for the upcoming release of “12 Rounds in Lo’s Gym: Boxing and Manhood in Appalachia,” we are checking in with some of the most accomplished and respected boxing figures from the state of West Virginia. These are road warriors, guys who fight anyone, anywhere, anytime — Appalachian underdogs of the squared circle. Their […]
Interview with Tim Wheeler (WV Series)
We are now less than a month away from the opening bell. With the March 1st release date of “12 Rounds in Lo’s Gym: Boxing and Manhood in Appalachia” just around the corner, I have invited a few key characters to the blog so that you can become familiar with their stories before reading the […]
Interview with “Lightning” Mike Sheppard (WV Series)
In anticipation for the upcoming release of “12 Rounds in Lo’s Gym: Boxing and Manhood in Appalachia,” we are checking in with some of the most accomplished and respected boxing figures from the state of West Virginia. These are road warriors, guys who fight anyone, anywhere, anytime — Appalachian underdogs of the squared circle. Their […]
Interview with Jeremy “The Beast” Bates (WV Series)
In anticipation for the upcoming release of “12 Rounds in Lo’s Gym: Boxing and Manhood in Appalachia,” we are checking in with some of the most accomplished and respected boxing figures from the state of West Virginia. These are road warriors, guys who fight anyone, anywhere, anytime — Appalachian underdogs of the squared circle. Their […]
Interview with James “Buster” Douglas
He was a kid from the Linden neighborhood of Windsor Terrace in Columbus, Ohio. He was a standout basketball player at Linden McKinley High School, the son of a local amateur boxing hero who packed up and went off to college with dreams of making it to the NBA. But as sons often do, he […]