Editorial
From the Editor
Dear Appalachian Lit Readers:
At long last, we bring you the latest issue of Appalachian Lit. We think it’s worth the wait.
We’ve got amazing creative nonfiction from Halsey Hyer and Jen Hemphill, wonderful fiction from Patrick McGinty and J Buentello Benavides and excellent poetry from luminaries like Kari Gunter-Seymour, Julia Johnson, and Willie Carver. We also bring you new work from the terrific Wendy McWicker and the new-to-us and awesome Justin Wymer.
This issue also features WANA’s own Jody Diperna in conversation with Amy Jo Burns, all around top shelf writer and keynote speaker for this year’s WANA Conference. (Remember to register!) You can do it here: Register Now!
I am particularly pleased with a new and ongoing feature we’ve launched in this issue: The Student Spotlight. The Spotlight features work from one outstanding undergraduate or graduate student from the region. As both a writer and an editor I know how important it is to create opportunities for new voices to be heard and regard it as a tremendous privilege to create a forum for the next generation of Appalachian writers.
Our inaugural student spotlight goes to Lydia Seaton, an amazing young writer who has just finished her undergraduate work at Slippery Rock University. The opening of her novel The Southern Belle’s Christmas Bazaar is something you won’t forget! We’re imagining you’ll someday be able to say you read her here first. She was one of our readers at Appalachian Studies this year and knocked it out of the park.
We also want to extend big thanks to Jaci Rice for allowing us to use her artwork for this issue’s cover. When I saw her show at the Gallery 2265 in Wheeling, West Virginia, I was so impressed with the evocative power in her rendering of our region’s industrial heritage.
Finally, this is the first semester at the Writers Association of Northern Appalachia we’ve had interns. A huge shout out to Manasseh Robertson, our Appalachian Lit intern without whose diligent work this issue would still be a bunch of code (and thanks to Christina Fisanick for finding him!). Great job Nasa!
Damian
Editor-in-Chief
Appalachian Lit