In her book, she examines a collection of poetry and prose writings from LGBTQ authors from the Appalachian region. Her presentation will illuminate the complex intersections of place, family, sexuality, gender and religion that people who live in Appalachia and identify as LGBTQ often navigate.
“Appalachia is a rich and complex region that has been all too often portrayed as monolithic and homogenous, and understanding the diversity of voices and experiences in the region is key,” Carey said. “Also, I hope readers — and people who attend the presentation — will take away a list of LGBTQ Appalachian authors whose works they want to read. I hope that readers will learn about these talented writers or gain a new perspective about some writers they thought that they knew.”
Carey said her original inspiration for the book was something that she could not find.
“I was writing a conference paper on an award-winning YA (young adult) novel about a young woman in Kentucky who is lesbian, and I assumed that I would find scholarly studies of this groundbreaking book, or at least about other LGBTQ literature in Appalachia,” she said. “Instead, I found that very little had been published on this topic. Eventually, I realized that most LGBTQ Appalachian authors and their work have been doubly erased — disregarded within the literature of the United States because they’re Appalachian (‘regionalists,’ ‘local color,’ etc.) and overlooked or excluded from the Appalachian literary tradition because they are part of the LGBTQ community.”
The book discussion is free and open to all, and it will be livestreamed at https://www.marshall.edu/livestream/. Refreshments will be provided.
It is sponsored by the Office of Academic Affairs in support of Marshall University’s HLC Quality Initiative. All members of the campus and surrounding community are welcome to attend.