Jeff Mann
The annual “Celebration of Regional Poetry” sponsored by the Friends of the Washington County Virginia Public Library is held Sunday, April 10, at 3 p.m., in the conference room at the Abingdon Library.
This year’s featured poet is Jeff Mann, who teaches creative writing at Virginia Tech. Mann grew up in Covington, Virginia, and Hinton, West Virginia, receiving degrees in English and forestry from West Virginia University. His poetry, fiction and essays have appeared in many publications, including Prairie Schooner, Shenandoah and Appalachian Heritage. He has published five award-winning books of poetry, “Bones Washed with Wine,” “On the Tongue,” “Ash: Poems from Norse Mythology,” “A Romantic Mann” and “Rebels”; two collections of personal essays; and six novels.
He recently co-edited, with Julia Watts, “LGBTQ Fiction and Poetry from Appalachia.” This collection, the first of its kind, gathers original and previously published fiction and poetry from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer authors from Appalachia. Like much Appalachian literature, these works are pervaded with an attachment to family and the mountain landscape, yet balancing queer and Appalachian identities is an undertaking filled with conflict. This collection confronts the problematic and complex intersections of place, family, sexuality, gender and religion with which LGBTQ Appalachians often grapple.
Poets from the Appalachian Center for Poets and Writers, including Darryl Ann Beeghley, Warren Harris, Trish Chaney and David Winship, also read their poetry at the event. There will be book sales and signings, as well as a reception after the event.
For more information, contact the library at 276-676-6390 or visit www.wcpl.net.
