Way Out in West Virginia: A Must Have Guide to the Oddities and Wonders of the Mountain

by Jeanne Mozier

Way Out , as the subtitle states, is a must have for anyone interested in exploring the numerous nooks and crannies that make up West Virginia. Mozier describes with wit and detail nearly 600 of the state's really wild and wacky offerings. Get the scoop on moldy mummies, the state food ( the pepperoni roll), great plumbing, Cornstalk's Curse, the only town in the country you enter through a parking garage, and tons more. Mozier will delight both the adventurer and armchair traveler alike.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

As one radio host characterized her: Ivy League educated, CIA indoctrinated, West Virginia marinated. It's a potent combination that makes for fun reading what Jeanne writes.

Jeanne is an award-winning writer of both fiction and non-fiction and in a more traditional description:a unique blend of scholarship, professional experience and metaphysical studies. She earned degrees in political science from Cornell and Columbia universities.

Jeanne has practiced astrology for more than 40 years using it to analyze and project social and political trends as well as applying astrological insight to individual lives. A “full service oracle” she also consults tarot cards, Nordic runes and reads palms. She lectures widely delivering annual Oracles talks.

Currently, Jeanne lives with her husband in the historic spa town of Berkeley Springs, WV where they own and operate the Star Theatre, a vintage movie house. A noted social entrepreneur and popular writer, Jeanne has accumulated many honors and awards in her years of creating an enclave for all things and people with a slightly different perspective.

On any single day, Jeanne may find herself fully immersed in understanding and reporting the distant past, an exciting present or potential future.

Reviews

[Heather McChesney · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was living in Berkeley Springs, WV, Jeanne and her husband, Jack, were my landlords. Jeanne is a trip to say the least. Every year a co-worker and I would teach an Appalachian Literature/Culture Unit to our high school students. Jeanne was kind enough to offer materials when asked, AND come and conduct writing workshops with our students! She writes as she lives.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally a good compilation of interesting things to do in the state. A bit too much personal commentary and not enough content from my perspective, but to be honest, there arent many books like this about WV so you have to take what you can get. Make sure you get the updated version, as the older version is still for sale in some places and contains places that are closed or outdated information.

[Phillip Ammar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I'm a Californian, but both of my parents were West Virginians. I bought a copy of it when I went to West Virginia to look up my family roots. Way Out In West Virginia is excellent, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great read. It's funny, quirky and very interesing!

[Jeanne Mozier]

FOREWORD TO 4th EDITION
One of the best parts of publishing this original view of West Virginia was the opportunity it afforded me to travel to every corner of the state meeting and talking with folks. I felt honored by the affection that people demonstrated toward the book -- and all the copies it sold in multiple printings.

Who could not love comments like: “My grandmother cried. She said it was the most good things she’s ever read about West Virginia in one book.” Or: “My father laughed so much as he read it. He said it helped him heal from his heart operation.” It is gratifying that some people came back again and again to buy more copies because they loaned them out and the book never returned.

Even better than the praise were the stories people shared with me about their own connections to the places in the book; or best of all, their recommendations for oddities and wonders that should be included in the next version. This IS the next version and many suggestions are included. I felt victorious when I could add a fascinating new attraction, and took it personally when an entry was removed because a business closed.

As the world seems to be spinning out of control, it is satisfying to find that West Virginia has scarcely hastened its tempo. Even with an electronic edition of this book making it easier to find everything, the state remains a peaceful, beautiful slice of heaven on earth with friendly people always ready with a wave or a story. Use this to explore and enjoy!

[Sarahbel · Rating 2 out of 5]

While there was some good information in the book, it was overshadowed by the poor writing and author's self-promotion. The order of the entries makes the book useless as a trip guide, not to mention that the author failed to even include the locations for many of the entries. Most of the things I would have liked to learn more about were only barely mentioned, while other things were described at length and/or numerous times throughout the book. For a much better guide to WV's oddities, check out Rick Steelhammer's contribution.