This week we visit Jessie van Eerden in Roanoke, VA. Jessie is a native of Preston County, WV and the author of novels "Glorybound", "My Radio Radio", and 'Call It Horses", and portrait essay collection "The Long Weeping". Her new essay collection "Yoke & Feather" is out now, so go forth and read! 

Jessie has taught for over twenty years in college classrooms and adult literacy programs, and she directed the low-residency MFA writing program of West Virginia Wesleyan College for seven years. She is Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Hollins University.

For more on Jessie: jessievaneerden.com

Jessie's Books on the Bed:

The Murmuring Deep by Avivah Gottlied Zornberg

Barrabas by Par Lagerkvist

Houskeeping by Marilynne Robinson

The Long Loneliness by Dorothy Day

Deepstep Come Shining by C.D. Wright

Rose by Li-Young Lee

Matt's gifts for Jessie:

Fire Sermon and A Life by Wright Morris

Episode timeline:

0:00 - 6:47 — Intro

6:48 - 52:35 — Gifts for Jessie, discussing Jessie's life and work

52:36 - 1:33:09 — Jessie's Books on the Bed