Michael Chitwood – författare

The poems in The Weave Room reveal the life of a textile mill as it weathers a decisive social and human moment. Whether speaking in the voice of a weaver trying to quell a crowd about to turn violent over unionization or in his own voice as one of the mill's employees, Chitwood brings together many social and historical threads to show the pattern of a people and a place that has received little treatment in American poetry.

In Search and Rescue, Michael Chitwood seeks what the pagan Celts called the thin places, the spots where otherworldliness bleeds into the everyday. Beginning with childhood, the poet meditates on the intersection of the sacred and secular, on those luminous moments we can only partially understand. Water anchors the collection with the title poem, which explores the history of a large manmade lake and how it changes the surrounding mountain community. Displaying keen narrative skills and an engaging voice, the poems in Search and Rescue pay homage to Whitman and Dickinson, to Heaney and Wright, in pursuit of the everyday grace of Appalachian culture and the natural landscape.

A Day of It, the ninth book of poems by Michael Chitwood, is a fanfare for the commonplace and the oft overlooked, both among places and people. In the spirit of Seamus Heaney, Chitwood's poetry seeks the whereabouts of the "thin places" in the everyday—an abandoned barn, a weedy roadside, even an antique sewing machine. The dwindling tobacco fields and shuttered textile mills of Chitwood's native Appalachia bring to bear both personal and historical revelations. The complicated history of the region entwines with the personal in sonically rich lyrics. This is no Appalachian elegy, but Appalachian homage.The poems in A Day of It pay people and place their greatest compliment: attention.

Best Creative Nonfiction of the South serves as a valuable resource for scholars, students, writers, and general readers interested in creative nonfiction both from specific areas of the South and across the region as a whole. This North Carolina volume, second in the series, contains essays that celebrate and document the Tar Heel state’s diverse cultures and geography, from the mountains to the sea. The writers included here come from diverse backgrounds, generations, and artistic traditions, and as with most volumes in the series, this one indirectly reflects literary changes within the region over time. In some cases, publisher permissions and other factors have foiled the editors from including the work of deserving writers. Nevertheless, the abundant literary talent in the state has lessened the impact of the occasional unfortunate omission.

Best Creative Nonfiction of the South serves as a valuable resource for scholars, students, writers, and general readers interested in creative nonfiction both from specific areas of the South and across the region as a whole. This North Carolina volume, second in the series, contains essays that celebrate and document the Tar Heel state’s diverse cultures and geography, from the mountains to the sea. The writers included here come from diverse backgrounds, generations, and artistic traditions, and as with most volumes in the series, this one indirectly reflects literary changes within the region over time. In some cases, publisher permissions and other factors have foiled the editors from including the work of deserving writers. Nevertheless, the abundant literary talent in the state has lessened the impact of the occasional unfortunate omission.

“The Southern Poetry Anthology, Volume III, second edition, edited with passion and precision, in collaboration with Texas Review Press, transcends the stereotypes surrounding Appalachia, revealing the true diversity and complexity of Appalachia’s poetic voices. Commitment to showcasing the rich and rewarding literary landscape reflects the evolving spirit of this beautiful region. This anthology serves as a testament to the resilience and beauty found in the works of Appalachian poets, painting a vivid picture of a culture that defies easy categorization. Through carefully selected poems, this edition weaves a tapestry that is as vibrant as it is complicated, offering readers a deeper understanding of Appalachia’s multifaceted identity: nuances, complexities, and sheer beauty that define Contemporary Appalachia. Embark on a literary journey that honors tradition while embracing the contemporary, as The Southern Poetry Anthology, Volume III, invites readers to explore the heart and soul of a region that defies stereotypes and resonates with authenticity.” - William Wright, Series Editor