Read my poem, “Teaching Streetcar to College Literature Students” today with the Women of Appalachia Project. Morehead, Kentucky is such a cute town, and I was proud to meet so many friends there!
2026 Appalachian Literary Arts Festival
Hand to Mouth: Southern Writers on Poverty
Y’all, I’m proud to announce that my next book project is an edited anthology on Southern poverty. I’m editing and curating poems and essays for the publisher, Loblolly Press. The book is forthcoming in fall 2027. Click here for more info on the anthology.
My New Poem in Women Speak Anthology
This year’s installment of Women Speak is almost out, and here’s the cover. So proud to be included alongside so many wonderful women writers. Yay!
What I’m Reading Now: New Nigeria County by Clare Brown
I’m listening to the audiobook of New Nigeria County by Clare Brown. It’s a satire I found on Audible.com about a Black woman who calls 911 on a White youth in her neighborhood. She assumes he’s a gang member because he’s wearing cargo shorts. Whites are marginalized in the community. For instance, Blacks tell them their names are difficult to pronounce, and Europe and European culture are disparaged. The book plays off of race-based stereotypes, and to some degree, gender-based stereotypes too. The things I like best about it so far are the writing and the readers/actors. Inflections in the voices of the actors made me chuckle, and several clever jokes stood out. Try it if you like satire.
Women Speak (Vol. 10)
The newest Women Speak anthology is out. I’m proud to have three poems in it. The anthology focuses on women writers in Appalachia. In this issue, Volume 10, you will find work by Sheila Carter-Jones, Natalie Sypolt, Linda Parsons, Chrissie Anderson Peters, Lisa Kwong, and so many others! It’s edited by Ohio poet laureate, Kari Gunter-Seymour. Buy it here:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=VFPMU4FHXUN9L
What I’m Reading Now: Long Island by Colm Toibin
I read Colm Toibin’s Brooklyn several years ago, and I also enjoyed that movie adaptation. Right now, I’m listening to the sequel, Long Island. This book follows Eilish and the events that occur after she and Tony have been married for twenty years. They are living in New York with their two children, and they live near Tony’s brothers and mother. The opening of the book really hooked me. A complete stranger with an aggressive posture shows up at Eilish’s door. The stranger sounds like an Irishman, and he says that Eilish’s husband has impregnated the Irishman’s wife. He goes on to say he refuses to raise the bastard and that he will deliver the baby to Eilish’s door once it is born. Eilish is shocked and hurt. She doesn’t want the baby, and she’s surprised and mortified to learn that her mother-in-law is considering adopting the baby.
This book reminds us that Eilish also had an affair in the previous book. We catch up to Eilish’s previous lover in here, and I like that I don’t know where exactly the author is going with these two storylines.
I’m only about six chapters along so far, but I’m really enjoying it. It’s a good premise for a book. I like the family dynamics in the story, and I have always loved domestic novels! I look forward to finishing this one.
Books All Georgians Should Read
Proud to announce that the Georgia Center for the Book has chosen Daughters of Muscadine for their list entitled, “Books All Georgians Should Read.” Yay!
Last Summer on State Street
I’m about halfway through Last Summer on State Street and I’m enjoying it because of the honest narration and the wisdom of the adult narrator looking back on her harrowing childhood. It’s the story of a 12-year-old black girl named Fe Fe who lives in a housing project in Chicago with her three friends: Precious, Stacia, and a newcomer named Tonya. The story is set in 1999, and the girls’ apartment building is likely to be demolished due to neighborhood gentrification. The girls and their families dodge bullets and witness violence. Fe Fe has a brother who is into guns and is being recruited by a gang. Her friend Tonya is being taken advantage of by grown men, and Tonya has a drug addicted mother. Stacia is a gang leader’s daughter, so she’s seen as dangerous by the kids around them. The novel is heartbreaking and feels true. I know these issues can be triggering, but if you can handle violence, gangs, crimes against children, and poverty, give this one a read.
I’m listening to the story on Hoopla Digital, and the opening paragraphs drew me in. I love the sense of place and time and the fact that these girls bond over something as innocent as double Dutch. The characters are flawed, and I feel so much sympathy for them. I especially like Fe Fe’s mother, a single parent who stresses the importance of good behavior and deportment.
The author is Toya Wolfe, and this is her debut work. This is an #OwnVoices read.
My Author Interview at Speaking of Marvels
I was interviewed by Will Wolffitt about my forthcoming book, Daughters of Muscadine. Thank you, Will, and I appreciate your website, Speaking of Marvels, a wonderful place to discover new books and authors!
Monic Ductan 