The Poetry Spot
A snapshot review of a book related to the Non-fiction Feature
Also in Bulletin #56:
The Non-fiction Feature: The Injustice of Place by Kathryn Edin, Luke Shaefer, and Timothy Nelson
The Product Spot: Pew Research Center
The Pithy Take
The word “Affrilachia” comes from poet Frank X Walker–he began using it in the 1990s as a way to refer to the cultural contributions of African Americans who live in Appalachia, which is commonly thought of as predominately white. Walker is a Kentucky-based writer, and Affrilachia is a beautiful collection of poems; shedding light on Appalachian life is one thing, and Walker brings the focus closer on what it is like to be black–and often poor–in this historically fraught region.
I wanted to tell her
that the word Affrilachia
was not intended to take lives
was not intended to destroy families
or divide communities
that it existed to make visible
to create a sense of place
that had not excited for us
for any unwealthy common
people of color
now claiming the dirt
they were born in
Affrilachia
Author: Frank X. Walker
Publisher: Ohio University Press Distributed Titles
112 pages | 2020
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