This finalist for the New Poets Prize—also poet laureate for Hattiesburg, Mississippi—takes us on intricate tours of Saturday in a small town, the thin line between redemption and judgment, and how beauty and love unfold in everyday moments.
From gasoline-scented memories to the purple of maternal exhaustion, these poems capture the raw essence of Appalachian childhood and the profound wisdom of letting go.
In this “Love Louder” feature, Crystal Good discusses her mission to amplify Black Appalachian stories through community journalism and cultural preservation.
A small-town boxer fights with family obligations, lost love, and the pull of his roots as he chews on whether to sell his dying father’s cherry orchard.
A poet-ecologist’s morning run becomes a journey through time, revealing the layered history of a Southern college town.
Nature is delicate. Lies are persistent. Love is steadfast.
A family memory—as small as how Uncle Buck ate an apple—connects generations, even through loss and grief.
A tangled web of truth and fiction surrounds blues legend Robert Johnson’s alleged deal with the devil. Listen to how this quintessential Southern tall tale obscured Johnson’s genuine genius.
Through vivid imagery and raw emotion, Zoe explores the complexities of faith, family, and identity in the heart of coal country.
A poignant exploration of grief, memory, and the enduring connection to lost loved ones. In the streets of a city haunted by absence, solace is found in the eternal presence of those who have passed.
Deep in the heart of the season, this Tennessee poet tells winter to bring it on.
Christian J. Collier, a rising voice in Southern poetry, explores loss, faith, and the complexities of Black identity in the South. His work challenges traditional masculinity and interrogates the divine.
President Jimmy Carter’s ultimate lesson to us might have been his faith in faith itself.
