Life

N.C. poet laureate to speak at library

By Bill Moss, Published: May 20, 2013

North Carolina's Poet Laureate, Joseph Bathanti, will speak at the Henderson County Public Library on Saturday, June 1, at 3 p.m. Dr. Bathanti is an award winning poet, novelist, and teacher.

He was named Poet Laureate in June of 2012 by then Governor Beverly Perdue.

Currently, Dr. Bathanti is a professor of creative writing at Appalachian State University, where he is also Director of Writing in the Field and Writer-in-Residence Program in the University's Watauga Global Community. He has taught creative writing workshops in prisons across the state for over 30 years and is the former director of N.C. Writers' Network Prison Project. He also holds a MFA from Warren Wilson College.

Dr. Bathanti has published two novels, Coventry and East Liberty, and a collection of short stories, The High Heart. He has published six books of poetry since 1986 including This Metal and The Feast of All Saints.

The program, free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Doors open 30 minutes prior to the event.