Maurice Manning writes poems about turnips, and copperheads, and tire swings, and a woman who gets her apron strings caught in an old wringer washer. His work is dug from the ground of the Kentucky farmland where he lives. But it’s also elevated, universal, as high and expansive as the stars.
Manning was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for an earlier book of poems called “The Common Man.” He’s got a new book out just this week called “Railsplitter,” which is a series of poems written in Abraham Lincoln’s voice from beyond the grave. It’s a tribute to another plainspoken man with visions of something bigger.
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Show notes:
- Manning's new book, "Railsplitter"
- A profile from Garden & Gun magazine
- Reading his poem "A Wringer Washer on a Porch"
- A 40-minute British documentary on Maurice, if you want an even deeper dive
New episodes of SouthBound come out every other Wednesday. Subscribe:
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SouthBound is a production of WFAE. Our host is Tommy Tomlinson. Our audience engagement manager is Joni Deutsch, and our main theme comes from Josh Turner.
