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Doug Van Gundy reads three poems from his debut book, “A Life Above Water,” published earlier this year by Red Hen Press.

Van Gundy also shares his thoughts about the personal focus of poetry, how it’s nourished by the worlds of science and spirit. He talks about mountain culture, his life and music, and what makes a good teacher. Listening to him talk, we get a sense of the great richness and depth of his experience.

Perhaps nobody has capsulized Van Gundy’s background better than the Augusta Heritage Center of Davis and Elkins College when presenting him as one of their featured teachers this summer:

“Doug Van Gundy has been an elephant keeper, a copywriter, a country radio disk jockey, a letterpress operator, an arts administrator. He has also taught composition to inmates and college freshmen, helped high school teachers integrate writing into their classrooms, led creative writing weekends for university students and has worked with poets from age 5 to 75. He earned his M.F.A. in poetry from Goddard College. His work has been published in numerous regional literary magazines and has won prizes in both the Eve of Saint Agnes and Lullwater Review competitions. His poems have been included in the anthology ‘Wild Sweet Notes: Fifty Years of West Virginia Poetry.’ Doug is also a well-known fiddler and banjo player, and he frequently performs and teaches old-time music as half of the duo Born Old.”

Van Gundy also plans to appear at the W.Va. Book Festival in October. He says he’ll bring some copies of his book.

Enjoy.

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