Research Spotlight: Jordan Woodward
The Power of Community in Coal Country Storytelling
Originally hailing from Oklahoma, a state with its own distinct histories tied to extractive industry, Jordan Woodward is a researcher exploring the ways in which former mining communities recognize the past while reshaping their shared identity—and the role of storytelling in those changes.
As a postdoctoral research associate in public humanities for Humanities Without Walls, Woodward has traveled across the state of Illinois and spoken to dozens of people living in communities marked by the decline of the coal industry. “I’m really interested in how communities experience environmental, economic, and social transitions, and how they communicate about those in various forms,” she said.
While completing her PhD in English (Rhetoric, Composition, and Literacy) at The Ohio State University, Woodward conducted research in Appalachian Ohio. And while she does continue that work, her time at the University of Illinois has opened up new connections throughout the state, including West Frankfort and parts of Vermilion County—both sites with a long history of coal mining.
As of 2023, burning coal accounts for approximately 15 percent of the state of Illinois’ electricity production, compared to nearly 55 percent in 1990. According to Woodward, Illinois is the fourth highest producing coal state in the U.S., with the largest recoverable coal reserves east of the Mississippi. The state produces about as much coal as it ever has, but because of mechanization of mining technologies, this mining supports a fraction of the jobs. In that transition sits countless stories of communities, families, and individuals navigating the shifting identity of their towns and livelihoods.
Read the full story on the Humanities Research Institute's Inquiry blog.