Participation Type
Reading
Session Title
Session 5.06 Readings and Performance
Presentation #1 Title
Industrial Fictions (A Short Story & Poem Presentation)
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
My brief presentation would aim to explore industrial themes in my prose and poetry. Using two recent publications, I hope to explore several contemporary ideas that appear to be universal concerns among Appalachian writers. “A Good Shave” was recently published in Volume 2, Issue 2 of Whisperings Magazine (July 2013). Based loosely on the terrain and environment of Huntington, WV, “A Good Shave” tells the story of a single day in the life of a steel worker named Daniel McKenzie. Plagued by talk of the economic recession, which he doesn’t understand, and the recent dissolution of his marriage, which he keeps a secret, “Mac” struggles to make peace with the state of his life and his hometown. “Glass Fire” was included in Volume 1, Issue 4 of the Irish journal, Poetry Bus (December 2012). This poem examines Appalachian life from the perspective of a young boy who watches his father work through the window of a glass factory—based on Blenko Glass in Milton, WV. These works explore themes of Appalachian life in a 21C milieu which is moving definitively toward a new kind of technology. Modern industry is passing through Appalachia, leaving scars among the land and its people. Mountaintop removal and fracking are but the surface of issues that run much deep into the history and heritage of this area. It is the role of social, political, and artistic voices to survey and problematize these concerns in order to ensure a brighter future for Appalachia.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Clint Wilson III was born and raised in Huntington, WV, completing his BA at Wake Forest University and his MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Edinburgh. His short stories and poetry have been featured in various publications, including the July 2013 Whisperings Magazine, the December 2012 Poetry Bus, and the May 2012 Crack the Spine. He is currently a graduate teaching assistant and master's student in the English department of West Virginia University.
Industrial Fictions (A Short Story & Poem Presentation)
Harris Hall 234
My brief presentation would aim to explore industrial themes in my prose and poetry. Using two recent publications, I hope to explore several contemporary ideas that appear to be universal concerns among Appalachian writers. “A Good Shave” was recently published in Volume 2, Issue 2 of Whisperings Magazine (July 2013). Based loosely on the terrain and environment of Huntington, WV, “A Good Shave” tells the story of a single day in the life of a steel worker named Daniel McKenzie. Plagued by talk of the economic recession, which he doesn’t understand, and the recent dissolution of his marriage, which he keeps a secret, “Mac” struggles to make peace with the state of his life and his hometown. “Glass Fire” was included in Volume 1, Issue 4 of the Irish journal, Poetry Bus (December 2012). This poem examines Appalachian life from the perspective of a young boy who watches his father work through the window of a glass factory—based on Blenko Glass in Milton, WV. These works explore themes of Appalachian life in a 21C milieu which is moving definitively toward a new kind of technology. Modern industry is passing through Appalachia, leaving scars among the land and its people. Mountaintop removal and fracking are but the surface of issues that run much deep into the history and heritage of this area. It is the role of social, political, and artistic voices to survey and problematize these concerns in order to ensure a brighter future for Appalachia.
