Denied unemployment, how do I appeal? - any advice?

My claim was denied after 23 weeks of waiting, and the letter says I have a short window to appeal. There are 17 people counting on me, so I am trying to be careful. The letter lists a deadline and a hearing process, but it is hard to follow.

Stay calm and stick to facts. Mine lasted about thirty minutes and felt more like a conversation than a trial.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 13 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.