Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
Session 6.01 Literature
Presentation #1 Title
The Education of Charles Wright: Kingsport, Tennessee, as Poetic Homeland
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Charles Wright, the current Unites States Poet Laureate, was born in Pickwick Dam, Tennessee, on August 25, 1935. He spent his formative years, however, living on Old Stage Road in Kingsport, Tennessee. As a result, many of his early poems feature the landscapes of the city and the surrounding countryside. “The Education of Charles Wright: Kingsport, Tennessee, as Poetic Homeland” will visually explore several specific literary landmarks – his childhood home, Bays Mountain, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church – as it seeks to orient the audience with the dynamic power of Appalachia in the poet’s youth. Wright’s poetry has evoked many views: from both difficult and introspective, to mystical and transcendent. By sharing images of Wright’s Kingsport alongside his verse, I hope to illustrate how small town Appalachia can take on poetic and even mythic qualities when couched within the context of powerful poetry. Finally, though Charles Wright was named Poet Laureate, he is still fairly obscure in his childhood hometown. By presenting in Johnson City, I hope to shed light on the role that the Tri-Cities played in molding the mind of one of the new century’s most important poetic voices.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Scott Honeycutt is an assistant professor of English at East Tennessee State University. When he is not teaching, Scott enjoys walking the hills of Appalachia and spending time with his family.
The Education of Charles Wright: Kingsport, Tennessee, as Poetic Homeland
Charles Wright, the current Unites States Poet Laureate, was born in Pickwick Dam, Tennessee, on August 25, 1935. He spent his formative years, however, living on Old Stage Road in Kingsport, Tennessee. As a result, many of his early poems feature the landscapes of the city and the surrounding countryside. “The Education of Charles Wright: Kingsport, Tennessee, as Poetic Homeland” will visually explore several specific literary landmarks – his childhood home, Bays Mountain, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church – as it seeks to orient the audience with the dynamic power of Appalachia in the poet’s youth. Wright’s poetry has evoked many views: from both difficult and introspective, to mystical and transcendent. By sharing images of Wright’s Kingsport alongside his verse, I hope to illustrate how small town Appalachia can take on poetic and even mythic qualities when couched within the context of powerful poetry. Finally, though Charles Wright was named Poet Laureate, he is still fairly obscure in his childhood hometown. By presenting in Johnson City, I hope to shed light on the role that the Tri-Cities played in molding the mind of one of the new century’s most important poetic voices.
