emily e fox

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Growing Up Kentucky

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Shawn Fulk, 29, reaches for his...18-month-old Hailey Grace Fulk.

Shawn Fulk, 29, reaches for his daughter, 18-month-old Hailey Grace Fulk.

Scott Foster embraces his son N...as this one near Tateville, Ky.

Scott Foster embraces his son Noah after placing the winning bid on a $50 Confederate bill. Relics of the civil war often surface in small-town auctions across Kentucky, such as this one near Tateville, Ky.

Shawn Fulk, 29, holds a phone t...r's house for the weekend.

Shawn Fulk, 29, holds a phone to the ear of his son, Christian Fulk, 8, so that he can talk to his stepsisters, who are away at their father's house for the weekend.

Chelsea Stevens, 19, sends her ... bin and places it on his head.

Chelsea Stevens, 19, sends her boyfriend a text message while her 18 month old son, Landon, empties a toy bin and places it on his head.

Rodney, nine years old; Russel,...bsidize their grocery shopping.

Rodney, nine years old; Russel, ten years old; and Roelan Woosley, two years old; visit the home of their grandparents with whom they share a street. The family relies on canned goods to subsidize their grocery shopping.

Performers at the Pisgah Pickin...young people are in attendance.

Performers at the Pisgah Pickin' Jam in Somerset Ky., play hymns to a small audience comprised primarily of the elderly who remember attending similar jams as children. Though the jam seeks to keep the tradition of bluegrass alive, few young people are in attendance.

A candle sits in the window of a bank in Whitesburg, Ky.

John Eaton IV, 10, looks over m...nt for a portion of their food.

John Eaton IV, 10, looks over military accessories at the gun and arms show during the biannual Machine Gun Shoot in Knobb Creek, Ky. He is accompanied by his father John Eaton III, 38, and his brothers, Jesse Eaton, 8, and Thomas Eaton, 6. The family lives primarily off their land and use guns to hunt for a portion of their food.

Russel Woosley, 10, jumps from ...o play with little supervision.

Russel Woosley, 10, jumps from the back porch of his family's home in Morgantown, Ky. The Woosleys live on a quiet street and are able to play with little supervision.

Kendra Ward, 5, embraces her st... little time to spend together.

Kendra Ward, 5, embraces her step-father, Shawn Fulk, 29, on the steps of their home while her half-sister, 5-month-old Haily Grace Fulk waits for her mother to return with a bottle. Katelynn Ward, 3, receives instructions on throwing a baseball from her cousinâ€™s boyfriend, Calvin Corrigal, 25, in the background. With the Fulk familyâ€™s demanding schedule (both father Shawn and mother Daniell work double shifts at mental health facilities), there is little time to spend together.

Attention drifts from the horse...r mud-wrestling in the infield.

Attention drifts from the horses as a group of revelers at the 2010 Kentucky Derby struggle to rise after mud-wrestling in the infield.

Ashlei King, 16; Lori Simpson, ...he 2010 Owensboro BBQ Festival.

Ashlei King, 16; Lori Simpson, 15; and Haley Kassinger, 16; of Calhoun, Ky., joke during a concert at the youth stage of the 2010 Owensboro BBQ Festival.

Christian Fulk, 8, waits to pla...rd of his home in Somerset, Ky.

Christian Fulk, 8, waits to play with his father in the backyard of his home in Somerset, Ky.

The painting, "Transfigura...ing and 7-year-old Luke Wilson.

The painting, "Transfiguration," by Kandler Oldham, 13, hangs in the Presbyterian Church in Bowling Green, Ky., between paintings by 5-year-old Ellie Ransing and 7-year-old Luke Wilson.

Children lift their hands as pa... aimed at growth and retention.

Children lift their hands as part of a dance during Wee Praise, a choir group designed for preschoolers at Hillvue Heights Church in Bowling Green, Ky. The church has many programs aimed at growth and retention.

Rodney Woosley, 9, plays with t...Clifty Road, in Morgantown, Ky.

Rodney Woosley, 9, plays with the contents of a bottle of coke he found on the side of his street, Needmore Clifty Road, in Morgantown, Ky.

The sun sets over the Hillbilly...around 100,000 people annually.

The sun sets over the Hillbilly Days festival in the mining community of Pikeville, Ky. The festival, which has been celebrated since 1977, draws around 100,000 people annually.

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Thumbnail of Shawn Fulk, 29, reaches for his _ 18-month-old Hailey Grace Fulk.

Thumbnail of Scott Foster embraces his son No_ as this one near Tateville, Ky.

Thumbnail of Shawn Fulk, 29, holds a phone to_er's house for the weekend.

Thumbnail of Chelsea Stevens, 19, sends her b_y bin and places it on his head.

Thumbnail of Rodney, nine years old; Russel, _ubsidize their grocery shopping.

Thumbnail of Performers at the Pisgah Pickin&_ young people are in attendance.

Thumbnail of A candle sits in the window of a bank in Whitesburg, Ky.

Thumbnail of John Eaton IV, 10, looks over mi_unt for a portion of their food.

Thumbnail of Russel Woosley, 10, jumps from t_to play with little supervision.

Thumbnail of Kendra Ward, 5, embraces her ste_s little time to spend together.

Thumbnail of Attention drifts from the horses_er mud-wrestling in the infield.

Thumbnail of Ashlei King, 16; Lori Simpson, 1_the 2010 Owensboro BBQ Festival.

Thumbnail of Christian Fulk, 8, waits to play_ard of his home in Somerset, Ky.

Thumbnail of The painting, "Transfigurat_sing and 7-year-old Luke Wilson.

Thumbnail of Children lift their hands as par_s aimed at growth and retention.

Thumbnail of Rodney Woosley, 9, plays with th_ Clifty Road, in Morgantown, Ky.

Thumbnail of The sun sets over the Hillbilly _ around 100,000 people annually.

Public Story

Growing Up Kentucky

Updated Sep 2010

Topics Bluegrass, Documentary, Kentucky, kids

Growing up Kentucky is an ongoing project that seeks to explore the characteristics of a Kentucky childhood while accommodating the changing dynamic of the state. The essay touches on the roles of religion, family and tradition within a diverse sampling of Kentuckians.

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