Hal Crowther
The Friends of the Washington County Public Library celebrate profiles and poetry during April. Both programs are held at the Washington County Public Library, Abingdon, Virginia, at 3 p.m.
Hal Crowther speaks April 7 at 3 p.m. Crowther is the author of “Freedom Fighters and Hell Raisers.†The book is a collection of profiles of some of the best and brightest of a recently departed generation of Southerners. The title comes from something Molly Ivins, who is profiled in the book, wrote, “I don’t have children, so I’ve decided to claim all the future freedom-fighters and hell-raisers as my kin.†Other profiles are of James Dickey, Doc Watson, Judy Bonds and others.
Crowther’s social and political commentary is published in national and regional outlets from Time to the Atlanta Constitution, to the Oxford American. He is the husband of Appalachian writer, Lee Smith, and they live in Hillsborough, North Carolina.
An annual celebration of regional poetry is held Sunday, April 28 at 3 p.m.
The headliner poet is Edison Jennings. He is the author of three chapbooks: “Reckoning,†“A Letter to Greta†and “Small Measure.†His poems have appeared in a variety of journals and anthologies, including “Boulevard,†“Kenyon Review,†“Poetry Daily†and “Tri-Quarterly.â€
For many years, Jennings was a professor of creative writing and literature at Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, Virginia.
Regional poets from the Appalachian Center for Poets and Writers will join Jennings in the celebration, including Warren Harris, Rees Shearer, Delilah O’Haynes and Deborah Meacham Ledford.
Book sales and signing as well as a reception follow the reading. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.wcpl.net.
