Manly Wade Wellman, Jackson, Sunny Valley and Appalachian Gothic

What started as an exercise for my Witches of Appendix N project has become a rather thorough immersion in the works of Manly Wade Wellman. I have spent more than a couple of months reading his works and listening to his books. I went in looking for witches and any number of useful ideas about magic, and to add another piece to the puzzle: the literary landscape behind Dungeons & Dragons.I did not expect Wellman to start reaching backward into things I had already written.But here we are.The more I read Wellman, the more I could see bits of him reflected in two of my own settings, Jackson and Sunny Valley. Some of those similarities are pure coincidence. Others are the result of the same folklore and traditions influencing us from very different directions.And in at least one case, Wellman handed me an idea that was simply too good not to use.On the Matter of "Thorne"Those who have been reading here for a while know Faye Thorne. You might also be aware that this is not, in fact, her…