Kirk J.

Describe your contribution/work in the Appalachian region.  

I am a poet. I was a founding member of the statewide writers organization West Virginia Writers back in 1977. Still going strong. I read at the installation of Louise McNeill Pease as the WV poet laureate in 1979. I co-edited the first WV Poetry Anthology Wild, Sweet Notes published in 1999. I am a founding member of Allegheny Echoes, started in 1997. I was the first poet to be invited as an Appalachian Master to the Augusta Heritage Workshops in 2018 and 2019, and the first poet to perform at many of WVs fairs and festivals.

What is your perception of Appalachia? A region of the Eastern US distinguished by a unique culture with a background of rural folkways not usually associated with the modern American society.

Is change needed internally within Appalachia regarding our culture’s self-perception? No, I don’t think so. We know who we are.

-How do we challenge damaging stereotypes of Appalachia? Be ourselves. The stereotypes don’t define us. They say more about those who believe them.

How does your region of Appalachia inspire you? The incomparable beauty of the region. The mountains, the seasons, the hills and valleys, the wildlife, the whole closeness of the natural world.