Mode of Program Participation
Academic Scholarship
Participation Type
Panel
Session Title
Appalachia's Multitudes: Readings from Appalachian Heritage
Session Abstract or Summary
Appalachia, to paraphrase Walt Whitman, “contains multitudes”—a wealth of identities, themes and voices that both inform and inspire the region’s literature. The best writing from contemporary Appalachia reflects those multitudes, depicting the region in all of its extreme complexity: rural and urban, living and leaving, acceptance and prejudice, wealth and poverty, religion and drug abuse, literacy and dropping out, individualism and homogenization, and everything in between. The four writers on this panel don’t shy away from those complexities in their respective genres of fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry. Instead, they welcome them. During this panel, they will read from their work that has appeared in recent issues of Appalachian Heritage and discuss how to depict the region with honesty and candor on the page.
Presentation #1 Title
Gone To Water
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
A story published in Appalachian Heritage and excerpted from Gipe's forthcoming novel Weedeater.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Robert Gipe (Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College) is the author of Trampoline, winner of the 2016 Weatherford Award in Fiction. He lives in Harlan, Kentucky, and grew up in Kingsport, Tennessee. His fiction has appeared in Appalachian Heritage, Still: The Journal, Motif, and Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel.
Presentation #2 Title
Gospel River
Presentation #2 Abstract or Summary
A series of poems published in Appalachian Heritage.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Ron Houchin has work recently or forthcoming in The Galway Review, Devil Fish Review, Potomac Review, Birmingham Poetry Review, and Blue Lyra Review. His eighth book of poetry, Planet of the Best Love Songs, is due out in Spring 2017 from Salmon Publishing of Ireland. This May will mark his twenty-seventh visit to Ireland.
Presentation #3 Title
A Queen in My Blue Jeans
Presentation #3 Abstract or Summary
An essay published in Appalachian Heritage.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Tessa McCoy received her B.A. in Communications at the University of Virginia-Wise. Her creative nonfiction and poetry have appeared in Appalachian Heritage, Still: The Journal and Jimson Weed.
Presentation #4 Title
Stalking the White Deer
Presentation #4 Abstract or Summary
A story published in Appalachian Heritage.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #4
Natalie Sypolt (Pierpont Community and Technical College) lives and writes in West Virginia. She is an Assistant Professor at Pierpont Community and Technical College and also teaches community creative writing classes and workshops. Her work has appeared in Glimmer Train, Switchback, Paste, The Kenyon Review Online and Appalachian Heritage.
Gone To Water
A story published in Appalachian Heritage and excerpted from Gipe's forthcoming novel Weedeater.
