Margaret McLeod Leef

STORYTELLER, JOURNALIST, AUDIO PRODUCER

About

Margaret McLeod Leef is a former editor turned writer
and audio producer.

Margaret regularly contributes to the Charleston Gazette-Mail, a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper in Charleston, West Virginia, and produces and narrates audio stories for Inside Appalachia, an award-winning podcast about modern Appalachia. With over a decade of writing and editing experience, Margaret is also a keynote speaker and leads live discussions and forums.

More about Margaret ...

Portfolio

WRITING

Finding the Flavors of Home

Cooking together can be a way to get to the heart of the matter. When Rajia Hassib opens the door of her suburban Charleston home tucked away in South Hills, she instantly welcomes me with her warm smile. Sunlight floods her kitchen where she has chopped piles of parsley and mint in anticipation of my arrival. . .

The Power of Pie

An intense craving for a slice of my mom’s famous Lemon Icebox Pie — the recipe for which I’m pretty sure was on the side of the Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk can in the 1950s — ignited a weekend of trying to achieve the taste held in my memory.

Scotland, Appalachia Connected by more than Heartstrings

On a well-worn path deep in the woods, fir trees tower over a blanket of bluebells, ferns, and alders. A rushing stream peaks atop a waterfall and cascades into foaming pools below. Faint strains of fiddle music beckon further along the trail. Someone is ahead playing an old tune under the shade of a tree.

What If? The World According to V.E. Schwab

Expect the unexpected when you open one of Schwab’s books. They are magical, filled with richly woven, wondrous ideas. Schwab says writing her ideas into a book is like using ingredients in a recipe. It turns out, her writing philosophy is a recipe for life.

Holiday Crunch Time is a Snap

It's officially holiday crunch time. It will take a miracle to get everything done. Or maybe just a few words of encouragement from America's favorite soccer coach -- more on that in a minute. Fortunately, there is still enough time to give the gift of something delicious your kitchen, even to yourself. More on that last part in a minute, too. . .

Turning up the Love for a Diverse Appalachia

How do you love a place that doesn’t always love you back?

This is the paramount question in Neema Avashia’s memoir, “Another Appalachia: Coming up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place.”

Portfolio

AUDIO STORIES

Asheville Luthier Honors Family Tradition with Environmental Focus

On a recent afternoon in Rugby, Virginia, Wayne Henderson is in his workshop alongside his daughter, Jayne Henderson. Wayne checks out a guitar Jayne recently built.

“Let me look at it and play on it a little,” Wayne tells Jayne. He plays a few cords. “Very nice sound and tone." Coming from Wayne, this is high praise. Wayne has made guitars for everyone from Vince Gill to Eric Clapton. He charges about $5,000 for a new handmade guitar, but they can fetch much more on eBay and other secondary markets.

Beekeepers Say Their Tradition is About More than Honey

It seems that beekeepers in West Virginia have as much to learn from honeybees as they do each other. Beekeepers in the state are getting much more than honey; they are gaining knowledge and insights from their close-knit community.

Communion Wafers and Apple Butter Inspire Chefs' Work at Lost Creek Farm

Recently semi-finalists for the prestigious James Beard Award, Lost Creek Farm was an outlier in a category typically reserved for conventional restaurants. Costello and Dawson are stewards and storytellers...

AUDIO STORIES

SPEAKING

Margaret gives keynote talks, often delving deeper into the topics of her stories. Most recently, Margaret spoke about the ties between Scotland and Appalachia and the importance of public community art spaces to local and national groups.

Margaret also gives talks about the art of a good interview and how to craft compelling stories. Margaret recently appeared at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, via Zoom to speak to students about interviewing and storytelling.
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Additionally, Margaret leads discussions and hosts live author interviews for Charleston Reads, Charleston, West Virginia's first city-wide reading initiative, which Margaret founded and partnered with the City of Charleston and the Kanawha
County Public Library.

Contact Margaret about keynote speaking or leading
a community event here.