Amanda Held Opelt
Amanda Held Opelt
author | speaker | songwriter
 

NEW! Holy Unhappiness available now.

Released: July 18, 2023

 
 
 

For licensing, booking, and speaking inquiries, email contact@amandaheldopelt.com

Holy Unhappiness intro video

A Hole in the World intro video

 

A Hole in the World music album is now available, featuring six original songs by Amanda Held Opelt and other NC musicians

“Blending history with memoir...Opelt examines death rituals and reflects on her season of grief in this devastating debut…Poignant and erudite, this is not to be missed.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
 
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View fullsize 🎁Southern Appalachia Gift Guide! Support businesses impacted by Helene!! I want to thank all of you once again for the many ways you have supported Southern Appalachia as we recover from the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene. As we shift from
View fullsize In the last week, I’ve been meditating a bit on patriotism…on love of home and love of country. Political shifts can sometimes makes you feel like the landscape of a place as been altered, like the social terrain is unrecognizable. But
View fullsize I wrote this post last week. My Substack always comes out the first Wednesday of the month 😬. I wasn’t sure if it would “age well.” Maybe it has, maybe it hasn’t. This might not be for you today, and that’s ok. But some
View fullsize Morning in Meat Camp. Morning in America. Today I have the distinct privilege and sacred responsibility to live into my citizenship in the way I believe will make this country a better place for my children, my neighbors, my community. I love this
View fullsize As a person of faith, voting has always felt a bit complicated for me. If that’s you today, know you aren’t alone. Today, I voted…asking God for wisdom and considering my daughters’ futures. And also considering the future o
View fullsize In the late 19th century, there was an organized effort by the burgeoning mill industry to export mountaineers from their homes in Western NC to mill towns in the flatlands. Profit driven capitalists knew labor in the South was cheap & that if th
View fullsize A Haiku for All Saints Day All around us are artifacts of lives once lived blessed testimonies
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View fullsize Days of wonder, days of awe. This cross stood at the front of the sanctuary during our Lament Service last night at Boone UMC. It was constructed from pieces of debris from across our county. The wood will later be chopped & donated to heat high
View fullsize “I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭121‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭ Never do I ever remember having so many perfectly blue sky days all in a row&
View fullsize Absolutely astounded by the progress. And totally bowled over by the ongoing need. It’s both things: devastation and determination. Here in Boone, life feels like it’s getting back to “normal.” My house is fine. My road is p
View fullsize Love is a dump truck. ❤️ Last night around 5:30pm, I was driving into town and I passed three large dump trucks heading out to Meat Camp to continue work after a long week. I began to cry. When we first emerged from our houses (or what was left o
 

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