Only 7% of LAist readers currently donate to fund our journalism. Help raise that number, so our nonprofit newsroom stays strong in the face of federal cuts. Donate now. Writer Joe Mackall gained ...

In 1989, WGAL's Dick Hoxworth interviewed author Donald Kraybill, who had just written a new book, "The Riddle of Amish Culture." Sign up for our Newsletters Kraybill, who was a sociology professor at ...

In an engaging personal memoir, Mackall, an Ohio-based writer and professor of English, describes the close-knit relationship he has cultivated over more than a decade with a neighboring Amish family.

ARCOLA, Ill. (AP) -- After years of living in Arcola, four men saw a problem. Virtually everyone in central Illinois knew of the strong Amish presence in the area, as did tourists from around the ...

The fertile backcountry of rural Tennessee offers a vital lifeline to the Amish, a deeply traditional community living apart ...

The Amish are often misunderstood, and many of their traditions and values can seem surprising to outsiders. While we are familiar with their distinctive clothing and commitment to simplicity, there ...

(CNN) — The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away ...

The Amish, a religious group living almost exclusively in rural America due to their agrarian lifestyle, have astounded both their rural neighbors and researchers with recent population growth.

Writer Joe Mackall gained unprecedented access to one of the most conservative Amish communities through his neighbor Samuel. In his new book, Plain Secrets, Mackall chronicles the tightly knit ...

To the outsider, the Amish way of life is intriguing and sometimes puzzling. Amish customs can seem contradictory. Although the Amish chief mode of transportation is horse and buggy, sometimes they ...