The Blackwater Review is the first published work from the ArtSpring Literary Press. Both the poetry collection and the press were established by ArtSpring board member Tucker Riggleman as his major project during his tenure as ArtSpring’s AmeriCorps member in 2019/2020. After his year of service with AmeriCorps finished, Tucker stayed on with ArtSpring to complete The Blackwater Review with help from fellow board member Linda Reeves.

The digital collection features 23 pages of vivid work from current West Virginia poets. A download link to a PDF is provided immediately after the completion of sale, and is also emailed to you for convenience. Your contribution helps us continue to operate and bring you powerful work from talented West Virginia writers.

Several of the featured poets have contributed fantastic live video readings which can be accessed HERE. Stay tuned as more are added periodically!

Featured Poets

Tim Armentrout

Tim Armentrout is a poet from southern WV. Published works include Someone Screaming Out (SpuytenDuyvil, 2016) and All This Falling Away (Dusie, 2007), as well as pieces in Hot Whiskey, Brown Bagazine, Holler, Kestrel and elsewhere.

Emily Beane — instagram

Emily Beane (she/her) is a trans queer Appalachian poet and writer. She is, somewhat accidentally, a lifelong West Virginian and is currently a student at West Virginia State University studying English. Emily divides her time between her studies, work at Charleston’s community radio station WTSQ, and at the Kanawha County Public Library where she frequently recommends Bukowski to patrons.

Kevin Chesser — website

Kevin Chesser is a poet & musician living in Thomas, WV. His poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Hobart, Talking Book, Still: The Journal, drDoctor, and elsewhere. You can find him on Instagram @sweat_michaels and occasionally on Twitter @sweatmichaels.

Ben Duvall-Irwin

Ben Duvall-Irwin has lived in the mountains of West Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Spain. He sometimes works as a folklorist and has published research on Appalachian ballad singing and the Mexican corrido.

Vennie Hunt

Vennie Hunt lives and teaches English in West Virginia where she has resided the majority of her life. She loves to explore the world and spend time with her dog, Ziggy Stardust.

Ezra Mars — website

Ezra Mars’s work has been featured in Spam Magazine, Yes Poetry, Dinner Bell Magazine, and the Travelin’ Appalachians Revue. Currently he is earning his M.F.A. in creative writing from Wesleyan College.

E. May

E. May is an award-winning artist, musician, and writer. She has resided at Healthberry Farm in Dryfork, WV since 2013. Several of her poems were published in the early aughts, and the COVID quarantine has renewed her interest in this introspective medium. Additionally, she is releasing music with her band, The Moon My Twin, and working on her first novel. Follow along at erikamay.com and @emaymusic

Christopher Shugrue

Christopher Shugrue is a writer, father, husband, and gardener whose words appear in several journals, including Semicolon, Sans Merci, The Lune, and Bombay Gin. His first book, Straw Writes, was named a finalist in the 2013 Monkey Puzzle Press Prose Chapbook contest and was published in 2014. Chris holds an MFA in Writing and Poetics from the Jack Kerouac School in Boulder, CO, and his work often explores the ghosts we carry and what it means to be haunted. He lives in Shepherdstown, WV, with his wife—the writer, Elyse Shugrue—a blackbird named Delia, and Jack the Bear. When not spending time with his beautiful family, Chris can be found cultivating rare sunflower varieties or playing disc golf with his son, no matter the weather.

Fiona Tracey - instagram

Fiona Tracey is a December 2020 graduate of Shepherd University, where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in English: Creative Writing while minoring in Psychology and Spanish. A native of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, Fiona's poetry explores themes of womanhood and identity and draws on her experiences in her home state. She is currently the Senior Editor of the literary magazine Sans Merci.

Alicia Wright

Alicia Wright was born and raised in West Virginia and received an MFA in poetry from Bowling Green State University. She was previously an assistant editor at Mid-American Review, and her poetry has appeared in Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, Kestrel, The Cape Rock, Sweet Tree Review and elsewhere.