“The A.E. Stringer Visiting Writers Series is proud to present a reading of local authors in support of the Facing Hunger Food Bank,” said Dr. Sarah Chavez, a visiting assistant professor at Marshall and coordinator of the A.E. Stringer Visiting Writers Series. “The Writers Harvest reading not only celebrates the vibrant community here at Marshall University and the Tri-State area by showcasing award-winning local writers, but also serves as a food drive for Facing Hunger Food Bank.
“September is National Hunger Action Month, and Visiting Writers Series, in partnership with the Department of English and the College of Liberal Arts at Marshall University, are invested in supporting our local community and fighting this national crisis here at home.”
Peckham is an assistant professor of American literature at Marshall and author of five collections of poetry, including Why Not Take All of Me and God’s Blessing. His memoir, Resisting Elegy, appeared from Chicago Review Press in 2012 and his new collection of essays, Body Memory, appeared from New Rivers Press in 2016. His works have been widely published. He is married to Dr. Rachael Peckham and father to Darius Atefat-Peckham.
Bentley is a Marshall University graduate who has authored Ireland: An Irish Appalachian Pilgrimage (2017), a chapbook of her poetry and photographs, as well as The Silver Tattoo (2013), an Ireland-based psychological thriller; a short story prequel titled Night Terrors (2015); and a collection of poetry, Lake Effect (2006). Her works have been published in numerous literary journals in the United States and Ireland, and she has received a Fellowship Award for Literature from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts.
The readings will be followed by a question-and-answer session and book signing.
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Photos: Laura Treacy Bentley (left) and Dr. Joel Peckham will speak at the Writers Harvest event Sept. 14.