Episode 7: Gay Poems for Red States

Welcome to Episode 7 of The Official WinCity Voices Podcast. On today's episode, host Lashana Harney is joined by Willie Carver to talk about his book "Gay Poems for Red States."

About the Guest: Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr. is a youth advocate who works with the Kentucky Youth Law Project, Progress Kentucky, Narrative 4, and the Campaign for Our Shared Future. He is a Kentucky Teacher of the Year and the author of Gay Poems for Red States, a collection of narrative poetry about his childhood growing up queer in Appalachia. 

His creative work, which has been published in 100 Days in Appalachia, 2RulesofWriting, Another Chicago Magazine, Large-hearted Boy Blog, Smoky Blue Literary Magazine, and Good River Review, exists at the intersection of queer identity, Appalachian identity, and the politics of innocence. Willie is a candidate for the MFA in poetry at the University of Kentucky. He publishes and presents on the subjects of education, marginalization, and identity, and his story has been featured on ABC, CBS, PBS, NPR, and in The Washington Post, Le Monde, and Good Morning America. His advocacy has led him to engage President Biden and to testify before the United States Congressional Committee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. 

The Voices of Winchester Podcast brings your stories, our stories, & all of the voices of Winchester to your ears. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow us on social media @wincityvoices & check out more content like this at wincityvoices.org. Want to tell your story on the podcast? Email Lashana at [e-mail] or Pete at [e-mail]. ----------- WCV's Mission: WinCity Voices believes storytelling in all of its forms — the visual, the written, the spoken — is vital to meaningful change. Our storytellers provoke thought, promote happenings, and provide entertainment. Our mission is to celebrate creativity, foster informed conversation, and inspire the people of Winchester and beyond to build connection and community.