In this episode, poet, educator and environmental writer James Murdock (MFA ‘21) discusses how using poetry, place and the natural world around him informed the reporting and writing of “Orange is the New Peach.” The piece was recently featured in Food Stories: Writing That Stirs the Pot, an anthology published by The Bitter Southerner.

James says good writing is built on the fine art of paying close attention and this article is no exception. Here is the link James’ story, “Orange is the New Peach:” https://bittersoutherner.com/feature/2021/orange-is-the-new-peach

Here are a few of the poets and writers who inspire James that he mentioned during our discussion:    

How to Be a Poet, Wendell Berry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHpU3O63eMg

Matsuo Bashō https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matsuo_Bash%C5%8D

Wallace Stegner https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallace_Stegner

Janisse Ray https://janisseray.com/