Participation Type
Reading
Presentation #1 Title
The Beginning Shall Be Called and Known: Poems
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
I propose a reading of new poems from a manuscript-in-progress tentatively titled "The Beginning Shall Be Called and Known." These poems track 5 generations of a family, from the Piedmont region of Virginia, west to Kentucky, from the late 18th century to the 20th C. In doing so, the poems draw from historical fact as well as speculation, particularly where women family members are concerned, as their stories tend to be unrecorded. Woven throughout the manuscript is the language of legal documents associated with the family, to explore broader issues of gender, race, violence, and both internal and external landscapes.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Rhonda Pettit is the author of two collections of poetry, Riding the Wave Train (Dos Madres Press, 2017) and Fetal Waters (Finishing Line Press, 2013), as well as the poetic drama, The Global Waters. She is professor of English at University of Cincinnati Blue Ash College, and editor of the Blue Ash Review. A member of the Southern Appalachian Writer's Cooperative, her work appears frequently in Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, and other publications.
The Beginning Shall Be Called and Known: Poems
I propose a reading of new poems from a manuscript-in-progress tentatively titled "The Beginning Shall Be Called and Known." These poems track 5 generations of a family, from the Piedmont region of Virginia, west to Kentucky, from the late 18th century to the 20th C. In doing so, the poems draw from historical fact as well as speculation, particularly where women family members are concerned, as their stories tend to be unrecorded. Woven throughout the manuscript is the language of legal documents associated with the family, to explore broader issues of gender, race, violence, and both internal and external landscapes.
