Writer · Editor · Storyteller
Stories rooted
in Appalachia.
My work has always been to tell the stories of Appalachia — its people, wild places, changing communities and stubbornly enduring character.
36.4981° N / 84.5127° W
From the Cumberland Plateau
More than
a byline.
I’m Ben Garrett — a lifelong resident of Big South Fork Country, longtime newspaper editor and publisher, communications professional and outdoors writer. My work lives where journalism, history, education and the wild places of Appalachia intersect. I’ve served as editor of the Independent Herald since 2004 and still play newspaper publisher in the evenings.
By day, I tell the story of career and technical education at TCAT Oneida/Huntsville as the college's CTE Communications & Engagement Coordinator. I dabble in audio/visual and marketing projects on request, and I've written two books (working on a third). On the weekends, I hunt, fish and roam the great outdoors.
Scott County, Tennessee
Around the web
Where the
work lives.
Local journalism
Independent
Herald
News, sports, history and public life from Scott County, Tennessee.
Essays & commentary
Substack
Long-form writing, commentary and ideas that reach beyond the daily news cycle.
Local history
Encyclopedia
of Scott County
A growing record of the people, places and events that shaped Scott County.
Career education
TCAT Oneida/
Huntsville
Programs, opportunities and stories from Tennessee’s skilled-workforce pipeline.
Elsewhere
Follow along.