APPALACHIAN POETRY
THE COSMIC POSSUM
JANE HICKS IS THE COSMIC POSSUM
Jane is a teacher, poet, and fiber artist from upper East Tennessee. (There is something east of Knoxville!) The Jesse Stuart Foundation published her book, Blood & Bone Remember, in January 2005. Blood and Bone Remember recently won the Poetry Book of the Year 2006 Award from the Appalachian Writers Association. The Cosmic One is the inspiration for the name of a mythical Appalachian Trail hikers' hostel in Sharyn McCrumb's ballad novel, The Songcatcher. Baird Christopher explains it all! Jane also served as Sharyn's NASCAR mentor for St. Dale. (2005)
PUBLICATION CREDITS
Shenandoah
Now and Then
Wind
Pine Mountain Sand and Gravel
Iron Mountain Review
(GeorgeElla Lyon issue)
(Sharyn McCrumb issue)
Red Crow Review
Sow's Ear
Appalachian Journal
A! Magazine for Arts and Antiques
Appalachian Heritage
online publication:
shaking like a mountain
Southern Ledger/Southern Writer
THE POSSUM?
MY NOVEL FRIENDS
Jane, Pamela Duncan, Silas House and Ron Rash appeared as a panel at the Southern Festival of the Book on Octeber 8, 2005 . The panel, titled May the Circle Be Unbroken: Connectivity in Current Appalachian Writing, examined the connection in these authors' works. The presentation got rave reivews and was standing room only! They (along with Marianne Worthington) formed the core of staff for The Mountain Heritage Literary Festival at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee in July of 2006. Look for the 2008 schedule in the spring.
Pam Duncan’s third book, The Big Beautiful, debuted in March 2007. Jane wrote a poem just for the book! If you loved Pam's book, Moon Women, you will find out what happened to Cassandra Moon! Plant Life was her second novel. Published April 1, 2003, it contains the Cosmic Possum's poem, First Day Photo, which won third prize at the 2002 Tennessee Mountain Writers conference.
A Parchment of Leaves is the astounding second novel of Kentucky native, Silas House. (Algonquin, 2002) Lines from Jane's poem, Gershom appear in the novel. His first book, Clay's Quilt is available now in paperback (Ballantine). Jane is also quoted in this novel. USA Today calls Coal Tattoo, the prequel to Clay's Quilt "lovely." Ancestral Home, the title poem of Jane's new book is quoted in the frontispiece. A new novel, tentatively called Eli, the Good, is on the way in 2008!
Raising the Dead and The World Made Straight are Ron Rash's most recent books. Raising the Dead is one of the Possum's favorite poetry books. Check out the poem "Black Eyed Susans." Be prepared. It stops hearts.
