Loblolly Press: In Conversation

This Saturday, April 26, is Independent Bookstore Day, and while a certain mega-retailer is throwing a big sale 🙄, we’re celebrating something more meaningful: the indie bookstores that make space for our writers and help Southern literature thrive.

📍 Six Southern Bookstores We Adore

Here are a few of our favorite shops—places that have welcomed us, supported our titles, and created stages (and shelves) for emerging voices across the South:

* City Lights Bookstore (Sylva, NC) – A cornerstone of Appalachian literature with a big heart and a deep bench of Southern authors.

* Union Ave Books (Knoxville, TN) – A bright light in downtown Knoxville with a community-first approach to books and events.

* Bagatelle Books (Asheville, NC) – The best poetry section in town, tucked next to a garden shop and always full of surprises.

* Sassafras on Sutton (Black Mountain, NC) – Thoughtfully curated, beautifully arranged, and always ready to support local presses.

* Highland Books (Brevard, NC) – A beloved community shop with a long-standing love for regional writing and independent voices.

* Firestorm Books (Asheville, NC) – Worker-owned, radically welcoming, and consistently ahead of the curve in the books they champion.

* Bonus: Downtown Books & News (Asheville, NC) – Where you can find all of our titles on the shelves—right where they belong.

If you're able, consider skipping the algorithm this week and buying your next read from a place that truly believes in the power of story to connect us. These stores are more than just points of sale—they’re part of the reason Loblolly exists at all.

🎙️ Clint Bowman Reads James Tate

We’re still thinking about Clint’s recent episode on Loblolly In Conversation. This month, we’re sharing a bonus clip: Clint reads “The Promotion” by James Tate—a gem of a poem.→ Listen above, here on Substack or where you get your podcasts!

Clint’s audiobook of If Lost was recorded locally at The Talking Book Studios, and it’s out now:🎧 Get the audiobook📚 Paperback📱 Ebook

📦 Loblolly Poets to Read Right Now

💚 Distant Relations by Cheryl WhiteheadWe’d love to get 20 more copies of this gorgeous debut into the world this month. It’s lyrical, sharp, and filled with tension and grace. Free shipping if enter the green heart emoji 💚 at checkout.→ Order now

🐻 Beasts of Chase by Andrew MackThis chapbook explores black bear hunting in Appalachia with intimacy and bite. Personal, political, and grounded in the wild.→ Pick up your copy

Thanks for being part of our community.

Whether you’re listening to a poet read in your headphones or browsing your local indie bookstore, we hope you find something that stays with you.

— Andrew

Welcome to Loblolly Press: In Conversation, our monthly podcast where we bring you engaging interviews with our writers as they delve into their creative process, share their inspirations, and explore the southern influences that shape their work.

In this episode, I sit down with Clint Bowman, poet and co-founder of the Dark City Poets Society in Black Mountain, NC.

We recorded this episode in Clint’s home, surrounded by overflowing bookshelves, Sharpies, sticky notes, and the comforting chaos of a working writer’s space. Our conversation meanders, as conversations between friends often do. We talk about dogs (Penny and Hugo are officially besties), about our partners (shout out to Garrison and B), and about what it means to write as a local, not just about a place.

We dig into what it means to be acknowledged by your peers, to build a literary community from the ground up, and how Loblolly Press fits into that wider effort. Clint reflects on the path to publishing his first full-length collection, If Lost, what surprised him along the way, and what ultimately didn’t make it into the final manuscript. He shares generously about how poetry moved from the margins to the center of his life—and how he's working to make room for others to do the same.

Clint Bowman📍 Instagram: @clint_bowman

Clint Bowman is a native of Davidson County, North Carolina. His debut chapbook, Pretty Sh!t, was published in May 2023 by Bottlecap Press. He’s the co-founder and facilitator of the Dark City Poets Society (DCPS), a thriving poetry community in Black Mountain, NC, where he currently lives with his family. When he’s not writing or organizing readings, Clint works as a recreation coordinator, leading hikes, cleanups, and other outdoor adventures in Western North Carolina.

📖 Purchase Pretty Sh!t

If Lost

Bowman’s debut full-length collection, If Lost, is a raw, lyrical map of place and displacement. Inspired by the mountains, forests, and lives of the South, these poems explore a region where resilience and ruin often walk hand in hand. Think invasive species and abandoned churches, truckers in empty lots and deer beside the highway. If Lost is perfect for fans of Sharon Olds, Ada Limón, Ross Gay, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and bell hooks.

📖 Purchase If Lost

Upcoming Events

📅 April 11, 2025 – 7:00pm – The Dark City SpeaksBlack Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 West State Street, Black Mountain, NCAn evening of poetry featuring Glenis Redmond, Lee Stockdale, and Mildred Barya, plus students and poets from the Dark City Poets Society.

📅 April 12, 2025 – 3:00pm – Loblolly Press Poetry ReadingCity Lights Bookstore, 3 E Jackson St, Sylva, NCReadings from Cheryl Whitehead, Clint Bowman, Andrew Mack, and Garrett Ashley. Free and open to the public.

🎤 Hosted by: Andrew Mack📖

Guest: Clint Bowman🎧

Produced by: Loblolly Press🎶

Intro/Outro Music: Rooftop Sunsets by Alexey Anisimov via Tune Tank

Beasts of Chase - New Chapbook from Andrew Mack

Distant Relations - New Poetry from Cheryl Whitehead

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts—don’t forget to like, subscribe, download, and leave a review to help others discover the voices of Loblolly Press.

📚 Follow us on Instagram: @loblolly_press

📰 Subscribe to our newsletter on Substack for updates on new episodes, book releases, and more.

Welcome to Loblolly Press: In Conversation, where we explore the voices shaping contemporary Southern literature. In this episode, I sit down with Candice M. Kelsey, a poet, educator, and activist whose work captures the fleeting nature of time, the power of language, and the deep need for connection.

We talk about the ways poetry functions in both personal and public spaces—how it preserves what might otherwise slip away, how it provides a lens for understanding the world, and how it offers an antidote to loneliness. Candice shares her journey into poetry, the ways teaching continues to shape her writing, and the role of creativity in navigating grief, change, and belonging.

We also talk about Jackie and Shadow, two bald eagles nesting in Big Bear Valley, whose live feed has been a quiet presence in our days—a reminder of the patience and persistence required in both poetry and life.

Candice’s Work

📚 Postcards from the Masthead, boats against the current – Read More📚 The Poet Dreams of Driving a Ding-a-Ling Ice Cream Truck & Other Means of Escape (Pine Row Press) – Read More📖 Forthcoming: Another Place Altogether (Kelsay Books, December 2025) – Read More

🎨 Cover art for her chapbook was created by Matt Kish – Explore His Work

Connect with Candice

💻 Website: candicemkelseypoet.com📍 Instagram: @Feed_Me_Poetry

Up Next on the Podcast

Next month, I’ll be talking with Cheryl Whitehead about her debut collection of poems, Distant Relations, which comes out April 3, 2025 from Loblolly Press.

📖 Preorder Now – loblollypress.com/products/distant-relations

🎤 Hosted by: Andrew Mack📖 Guest: Candice M. Kelsey🎧 Produced by: Loblolly Press

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts—don’t forget to like, subscribe, download, and leave a review to help others discover the voices of Loblolly Press.

📚 Follow us on Instagram: @loblolly_press📰 Subscribe to our newsletter on Substack for updates on new episodes, book releases, and more.

Welcome to Loblolly Press: In Conversation, a podcast exploring the voices shaping contemporary Southern literature. In this episode, I sit down with poet Earl J. Wilcox to discuss his debut collection, The Surfacing of Joy, and the role it played in launching Loblolly Press.

Recorded on Christmas Eve in Earl’s Rock Hill, South Carolina apartment, our conversation also moves through the heart of his work — We discuss the evolution of his creative process, the impact of his vision loss and aging, and the ways his writing continues to shift in response to life’s changes. Since Earl no longer reads his own work aloud, I had the honor of reading selections from his book, alongside a new poem, “Love in Hurricane Season”, he recently published in Understory: A Digital Zine for Relief in Western North Carolina.

We also reflect on the beginnings of Loblolly Press—how Earl’s trust in this endeavor, both as a writer and as our first investor financially, helped make the Press possible. Without him, Loblolly wouldn’t exist in the way it does today. This episode is not just about poetry—it’s about our sense of place, the persistence of joy despite the very real challenges of our time, and the relationships and community that help us move forward.

Exclusive Offer:To celebrate, we’re offering The Surfacing of Joy at 20% off for a limited time. And in April, we’ll open preorders for Earl’s second collection, arriving in June 2025, just in time for National Poetry Month.

Credits:

🎤 Hosted by Andrew Mack📖 Guest: Earl J. Wilcox🎧 Produced by Loblolly Press

Listen & Subscribe:

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts—don’t forget to like, subscribe, download, and leave a review to help others discover the voices of Loblolly Press.📚 Get The Surfacing of Joy at 20% Off🌳 Tag us on social media with your thoughts on the episode! Use #LoblollyPressPodcast to join the conversation.

Follow Us:📍 Instagram: @loblolly_press💻 Website: loblollypress.com📰 Subscribe to our newsletter on Substack for updates on upcoming episodes, new book releases, and more.

🎙️ Loblolly Press: In Conversation 🎙️Welcome to Loblolly Press: In Conversation, a podcast that explores the lives and work of Southern writers and the creative processes that shape Southern storytelling.

In this trailer, host Andrew Mack introduces the heart of the series: authentic, in-depth interviews with Loblolly writers and others from across the South.

Andrew reflects on the significance of Southern literature—rooted in his own experiences growing up in South Carolina and living in Asheville, North Carolina. As the South evolves demographically and culturally, so do its stories. Loblolly Press celebrates the artistry and humanity of the region, amplifying voices often overlooked by larger publishers.

🎧 Coming Soon:Our first episode is a two-part conversation with founding poet Earl J. Wilcox. Together, we discuss his debut poetry collection The Surfacing of Joy and the inspiration behind his upcoming second collection, set for release in June 2025.

📅 Mark Your Calendars:

The first episode drops on February 3rd, 2025.

New episodes release the first Monday of every month.

💻 Where to Listen:Find us on Substack and wherever you get your podcasts. Catch teasers on Instagram @loblolly_press.

Subscribe now and join us as we distill the complexity of Southern writing into something honest and evocative — not a caricature, but a celebration of its artistry and humanity.