Description:
Jeff Mann's poems, provocative and beloved, are grounded in Appalachia, his adoration for the region's culture, and the frisson of passion between men.
Brief description: Jeff Mann grew up in Covington, Virginia, and Hinton, West Virginia, receiving degrees in English and forestry from West Virginia University. His poetry, fiction, and essays have appeared in numerous publications and earned him such acclaim as two Lambda Literary Award, the Pauline Réage Novel Award, the John Preston Short Fiction Award, and the Saints and Sinners Literary Festival Hall of Fame. His work was included in the first Official Literary Map of West Virginia, unveiled at the West Virginia Book Festival. He teaches creative writing at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Review Quotes:
"Every word of this title richly resonates throughout Mann's terrific collection. Redneck clichés are both celebrated and brought down a notch or two. And there are abundant bouquets of men and music, food and flowers. I can't remember when I've read poems that so delight the palate whether it's chow-chow with brown beans and cornbread to Clos du Bois or a fine Moselle with camembert. Mann is, as well, dependably honest in his portrayal of homoerotic love. These are seriously gay poems, yet poems deeply rooted in Appalachia. Would that more of the poems I read exhibit such orneriness-what a breath of fresh air are these marvelous and ornery poems!" - Marc Harshman, Poet Laureate of West Virginia, and author of Woman in Red Anorak