Spill

"Spillis a book of spiritual yearning, grounded in the here and now of airport terminals, the backyard, a rainy morning, and a broken-down church van."-Michael Chitwood

With finely honed, vibrant imagery, this poet chisels away at the mundane and unearths the miraculous in his eighth poetry collection. The book is divided into three sections: Chitwood's distinctive vision begins simply, as he evokes an Appalachian upbringing mired in pious certainty and yet haunted by spiritual craving. We follow the pilgrim's path in the following segment, as he attempts to wring holiness from the merely terrestrial, finding only fleeting glimpses of the divine. The final section turns contemplative, as the speaker tries to comprehend the course he has taken and find solace and wisdom in his journey.

Chitwood's verse is sharp, spare, and unpretentious, wonderfully surprising and yet deeply profound. Words are neither wasted nor superfluous; he never forgets that this is an honest conversation with the reader, and he uses the common tongue and humor of a man in thoughtful dialogue with his fellow creatures.

Born and raised in the foothills of the Virginia Blue Ridge, Michael Chitwoodreceived his BA from Emory & Henry College in Emory, Virginia, and then worked as a science writer and editor. He earned his MFA from the University of Virginia. Moving to North Carolina, he began teaching at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he remains a full-time visiting lecturer and a commentator on the local NPR station.

Poetry. Segmented in thirds, Chitwood's distinctive vision begins simply, as he evokes an Appalachian upbringing mired in pious certainty and yet haunted by spiritual craving. We follow the pilgrim's path in the following segment, as he attempts to wring holiness from the merely terrestrial, finding only fleeting glimpses of the divine. The final section turns contemplative, as the speaker tries to comprehend the course he has taken and find solace and wisdom in his journey. Sharp, spare, and unpretentious, Chitwood's verse utilizes the common tongue and humor of a man in thoughtful dialogue with his fellow creatures.

Michael Chitwood, a Virginian, received his BA from Emory &Henry College in Emory, VA and then worked as a science writer and editor. He earned his MFA from the University of Virginia. Moving to North Carolina, he began teaching at UNC, Chapel Hill where he remains a full-time visiting lecturer and a commentator on the local NPR station.