TAC Talk: Joseph Bathanti Reading from his new book of poetry, “Light at The Seam”

Light at the Seam, a new collection from North Carolina poet Joseph Bathanti, is an exploration of mountaintop removal in southern Appalachian coal country. Rooted in social and restorative justice, Light at the Seam contemplates the earth as fundamentally sacramental, a crucible of awe and mystery, able to regenerate itself and its people even as it succumbs to them. More than mere cautionary tale, this is a volume of hope and wonder.

The speaker: Joseph Bathanti, former poet laureate of North Carolina (2012–14) and recipient of the North Carolina Award in Literature, is the author of seventeen books. He is the McFarlane Family Distinguished Professor of Interdisciplinary Education at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.

TAC Talks: Featuring scholars from around the country, the Thursday Art & Culture lectures are selected to provide supplemental information on current exhibits at the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, or to highlight the history and heritage of the mountains.