“It has been a hot and mean summer in Letcher County, with a rash of coal mine bankruptcies and layoffs even crueler than the ones that came before. From the barstools at the American Legion post to the parking lot of the unemployment office, there was little debate: The coal business around here is going under. The only question was what would keep everyone afloat. These days, the answer has been: women.” NYT: The Mines Shut Down, the Women Went to Work and the World Quietly Changed.