Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire

Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire is set in the fictional town of Foxfire, located in the Appalachian mountains. In the acknowledgements section of the source text, Martin speaks directly to his inspiration for Foxfire, admitting that the town of his imagination “is based on a real place. The town of Vulcan, West Virginia” (323). Like Foxfire, Vulcan was a former coal mining town that fell into economic depression after visiting miners exhausted the valley’s resources. Vulcan also had only one entrance and exit, “a swinging bridge that eventually gave way to rot” and went without repairs for many years (323). The length of time it took for the government to address the bridge issue conveys how little value both the local and federal governments put on the people who lived in this remote town. The same is true of Foxfire, except Martin has intensified the stakes of Foxfire’s seclusion by adding the villainous Earl character.

The Appalachian setting also produces rich fodder for the novel’s folklore elements. Appalachia is an American region that reaches from West Virginia to Mississippi, and the place has a rich mythic history. Originally home to the Indigenous Choctaw and Cherokee tribes, the region later became home to settlers from Scotland, Ireland, and England. These settlers then merged their cultural mysticism with the beliefs of the local Indigenous people, and “[o]ut of this large melting pot was born a uniquely American faith tradition practiced mostly by familial matriarchs” (Cieslik, Emma. “Appalachian Folk Magic: Generations of ‘Granny Witchcraft’ and Spiritual Work.” Smithsonian Center for Folklore and Cultural Heritage, 15 Aug. 2023). One iteration of this healing tradition is known as “granny magic” or “granny witchcraft.” Such practices are founded on the belief that there is magic in nature. Resident matriarchs—typically older women—worked as healers and midwives, channeling ancestral power from the earth and using it to restore balance to the community: “These women knew the regenerative properties of certain native plants and provided medical care to those living in isolated areas, where residents were often distrustful of doctors” (Cieslik).

Elements of these traditions and community reliance on the natural world for wisdom and healing make their way into Martin’s version of Appalachia. In his fictional Appalachian town, the natural world is a source of power and strength. When this power is used selfishly, it causes profound harm, but when it is used with wisdom—as done by traditional grannies—it causes healing and restoration.

Appalachian tradition is also steeped in tight-knit communal bonds. Although it is, as Martin remarks in his acknowledgements, “a place forgotten by the rest of the world” or “labeled flyover country” (323), Appalachia houses a rich culture, with neighborly connection and storytelling at its center. At the same time, Martin acknowledges that while such small-town communities should not be “written off because of their zip code or tax bracket” (323), these are difficult areas to grow up in as an adolescent queer person. Don Martin’s version of Appalachia conveys the simultaneously protective and entrapping nature of the region. His fictional town of Foxfire is inspired by his own childhood experiences and relationship with Appalachia, and he has even named his characters after family members or familiar places, further authenticating his fantastical narrative world by grounding it in his real-world experiences in the region.