On Nov. 3-4, Dr. Jesse Graves was the featured writer at the 40th Annual Appalachian Literary Festival at Emory & Henry College in Virginia.
Dr. Jesse Graves is the Poet in Residence and professor here at East Tennessee State University. He received his PhD from The University of Tennessee and teaches undergraduate and graduate classes at ETSU in creative writing and poetry.
According to Emory & Henry’s website, The Appalachian Center for Civic Life began hosting the Literary Festival in 1982 with a program dedicated to Sherwood Anderson, an author living in Smyth County, Va. Since the inaugural Literary Festival, the Appalachian Center for Civic Life has honored a living writer with strong ties to Appalachia during each festival.
The Literary Festival had three sessions on Nov. 3, and three sessions on Nov. 4, many of which featured the main subject of Graves and his work.
ETSU professors Dr. Thomas Holmes and Dr. Scott Honeycutt each presented a paper at the event as well.
In the past, the Appalachian Literary Festival has featured writers such as Fred Chappell, Lee Smith, Chrystal Wilkinson, Ron Rash and more.
Graves spoke on his experience at the event.
“It was such an honor to be recognized at the Emory & Henry College literary festival, where so many of my mentors and favorite writers have been featured before. This was the 40th anniversary of the festival, which began with Sherwood Anderson, and has celebrated Lee Smith, Barbara Kingsolver, Ron Rash, Silas House and Frank X. Walker, among so many others.”
“I first attended this festival when I was a graduate student at the University of Tennessee for the 25th anniversary festival, so it has been a central part of my literary community for all these years. It was a humbling experience to hear so many great scholars who traveled from all across the region to present papers in response to my work. I am beyond grateful for the energy and insight they brought to my poems and essays, and to be able to share the experience with an audience of friends, family, and beloved colleagues.”
To learn more about Dr. Jesse Graves, visit his website at https://jessegravespoetry.wordpress.com/, and he also encourages his readers to send him letters as well, in which the address can be found on his website at https://jessegravespoetry.wordpress.com/contact/.
