NEWS & EVENTS

April 24, 2025, 7:00 PM

Fairview Library Poetry Celebration, Fairview, NC. Come support the Fairview Library and Celebrate National Poetry Month with an evening of poetry when five friends who are also fabulous, award-winning poets will read from their work: Kathy Ackerman; Cathy Smith Bowers; Keith Flynn; Luke Hankins; Pat Reviere-Seel. And me. Reception follows. The event is free but Friends of the Library will be happy to accept donations as the Library was adversely impacted by Hurricane Helene. Please come and support the Fairview Library. And poetry!

Montana Prize for Humor. I just learned I won the Montana Prize for Humor for my poem "Depression Bus." Thank you Brian Schott, editor of The Whitefish Review, and judge Molly McNearney. Montana, I love you. You think I'm funny!

April 11, 2025, 7:00 PM

Black Mountain Arts Center Evening of Poetry, Black Mountain, NC. Join poets Glenis Redmond, Mildred Barya, and me. I'm excited to be where Black Mountain College thrived with poets like Robert Creeley and Charles Olson; and people like John Cage and Buckminster Fuller. Please join us for a full evening of poetry.

March 15, 2025

St. John's Episcopal Cathedral Literary Festival, Knoxville, TN. I look forward to reading from "Gorilla" during a full day of readings by all kinds of interesting and accomplished writers. Keynote speaker is Becca Stevens who I've heard speak and who is truly inspirational.

January 22, 2025

"The Prose Poem" 2024 Poetry Competition. I'm grateful to "The Prose Poem" for selecting "Peacocks" as its Second Place prize winner. The poem recounts an experience with the peacocks of Miesau Army Depot who ran free at this American base in Germany.

January 8, 2025

"A Path to Freedom." I'm grateful that "Battlefield" from my book "Gorilla" is included in this anthology honoring veterans. Thank you Longleaf Press for an extraordinary anthology of authentic poetry. I'm humbled to be in it.

September 14, 2024

North Carolina Arboretum, Asheville, NC. I'll read "Moving Sidewalk", just published by storySouth, at the Fall Meeting of the North Carolina Poetry Society. "Moving Sidewalk" received Honorable Mention in this year's Randall Jarrell Poetry Competition.

August 29, 2024

Voted "Best Local Poet" in Western North Carolina! Thank you! Thank you whoever voted me "Best Local Poet" in Western North Carolina. This was completely unexpected and I could not be more grateful. To be clear, I asked not one person to vote for me, because it was simply nowhere on my radar, because, like--who knows me? Thank you, all, so much. This is truly heartwarming. I love you. And thank you, Mountain Xpress.

August 25, 2024

United Kingdom National Poetry Prize. The United Kingdom Poetry Society asked if I would perform my 2022 winning poem, "My Dead Father's General Store in the Middle of a Desert," and something new. This was fun to do! The new poem is "French Resistance."

August 18, 2024

"Standing in Awe at the Museum of Modern Art" Just published! Come stand in awe with me in front of Monet's water lilies.

August 5, 2024

Atlanta Review. How nice to just receive this from Atlanta Review: "You have been selected as an International Merit Award winner in the Atlanta Review 2024 International Poetry Competition. Congratulations! The judges were especially impressed with your poem 'One-Act Play.'"

June 6, 2024

"Elizabet Ney Visits Me at Hot Yoga Asheville." My poem just published in The Ekphrastic Review by wonderful editor Lorette Luzajic. If you aren't familiar with sculptor Elizabet Ney, and you probably aren't, here's your chance.

April 17, 2024 • 7:00 PM

Bookmarks. Winston-Salem, NC. I'll read new work, and from Gorilla, as one of four featured poets for National Poetry Month, at Bookmarks Bookstore.

March 20, 2024 • 8:00 PM

The Orange Peel. Asheville, NC. Nothing is more fun than jamming with the Rich Nelson Band on Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks."

January, 2024

Writer-in-Residence, Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities. Southern Pines, NC. What a fabulous week. They hang a sign on the door: "Do Not Disturb. Writer at Work." I walk around the house at night, the only one here. With lots of ghosts. It's where the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame is housed: big room with photographs of Thomas Wolfe, Carl Sandburg, Maya Angelou, Randall Jarrell, and others. I'll be happy to be back in October when the exceptional Joseph Bathanti is inducted. Thank you, wonderful Weymouth.

November 29, 2023• 6:00 PM

Fairview Library Poetry Festival. Fairview, NC. A great evening of poetry with Keith Flynn, Kathy Ackerman, Caleb Beissert, Pat Reviere-Seel, Greg Lobas, and myself. Reception, book signings, and harp music(!) follow. Free! Save the date! Wednesday, November 29, 2023.

October 3, 2023

"Woman Laying on Her Right Cheek" Published today by The Ekphrastic Review, a poem inspired by the Gwion Gwion rock paintings in Western Australia, 10,000 BC. The artist wants us to see the dancers, but I also see a woman laying on her right cheek, so clear to me I have to think it was intentional and the artist was having fun with us. One of the earliest examples of abstract impressionism.

September 2023

Interview by "Evening Magic's" Robert McReady. Zoomed in September 2023.

August 2023

UK's "Church Times" Podcast. I was delighted to be interviewed by novelist Sarah Meyrick for this podcast for the UK's "Church Times."

May 26, 2023 • 5:00 PM

Book Shelf Bookstore. Tryon, NC.

May 7, 2023 • 4:30 PM

Malaprop's Bookstore. Asheville, NC. Attend virtually or in person!

April 27, 2023 • 7:00 PM

Womrath Bookshop. Bronxville, NY.

April 20, 2023 • 6:30 PM

Lanier Library. Tryon, NC.

April 15, 2023 • 1:00-4:00 PM

Barnes & Noble. Biltmore Park Town Square, Asheville, NC.

March 29, 2023 • 7:00 PM

United Kingdom National Poetry Prize • Guardian Article: "Poem of ‘beauty, wit and grace’ about fathers and sons wins National Poetry Competition" • "My Dead Father's General Store in the Middle of a Desert" • BBC "Front Row" Interview with Tom Sutcliffe • BBC "Sounds" Interview with Jumoké Fashola

March 24, 2023 • 5:00 PM

Book Shelf Bookstore. Tryon, NC.

February 1, 2023

Wildacres Retreat Center. I'm wildly excited to be accepted for a week-long retreat to write at Wildacres. No Wi-Fi. No cell phone reception. No internet. Thank you, wonderful Wildacres.

January 18, 2023

Twins. I'm pleased that my poem, Twins, was published by The Ekphrastic Review, one of my favorite publications. The poem addresses and marries two separate paintings by the incomparable Margaret Curtis, both of which paintings live in our home. Thank you, Margaret, for assenting to make the poem public. Thank you, Ekphrastic Review and its wonderful publisher Lorette C. Luzajic.

Tryon Fine Arts Center: An Evening with Lee Stockdale and Gorilla. An extended evening of readings from Gorilla with emphasis, as requested, on my father's relationship with John F. Kennedy. I'll draw from family anecdotes: how JFK named his book Profiles in Courage; President Kennedy's calling my father to tell him to go down to Homestead Air Force Base during the Cuban Missile Crisis; JFK telling my father to pretend he was crying while in the back seat of the car with John John; etc. Q&A and book signing follow. Purchase tickets here.

January 18, 2023 • 6:00 PM

Trinity Episcopal Church. I'll read from and talk about Gorilla with Reverend Amy Peterson. 60 Church Street, Asheville, NC. Wine and cheese. Book signing. Free and open to the public.

December 20, 2022

NPR. I was pleased to be interviewed by Blue Ridge Public Radio regarding Gorilla. Listen here.

December 1, 2022 • 5:30 PM

Tales from the Journey Home—An Evening of Dinner & Poetry.

November 17, 2022 • 5:30 PM

SOLD OUT! Tales from the Journey Home—An Evening of Dinner & Poetry Food plus wine plus Greg Lobas and me at the Garden Cafe in Rutherfordton, NC. Come out for an enjoyable evening Thursday, November 17th, 5:30 to 7 pm.

October 29, 2022 • 3:00 PM

City Lights Bookstore Gorilla Reading and Book Signing. Join Andrew Clark and me in conversation at City Lights Bookstore on Saturday, October 29, at 3 PM, 3 East Jackson Street, Sylva, NC. Take a drive through the most beautiful fall leaves in the country. I'll be reading from Gorilla and hope to see you there.

September 28, 2022 • 8:00 PM

Reading at Sovereign Kava! September 28th.

I am jazzed to be the featured poet at Sovereign Kava, Asheville's longest running open mic. I've been reading at Caleb Beisert's open mics for years—at Sovereign Kava, The Block off Biltmore, The North Carolina Stage Company and, during the pandemic, virtually. Consistently voted the #1 Open Mic in Asheville in Mountain Xpress polls, come out for a fun night at 268 Biltmore Avenue, Asheville.

September 23, 2022 • 6:00 PM

Gorilla Book Launch! September 13th at Asheville's Pack Memorial Library. I'm tremendously excited that Gorilla will launch from Asheville's downtown Pack Memorial Library, in Lord Auditorium, on September 13th at 6:00 PM. I'll read from Gorilla, follow with Q&A, and sign books that will be there for sale, as well as books pre-ordered and brought to the reading. Please come! Content Warning: Discussion of Suicide.

August 28, 2022 • 5:00 PM

WordPlay! Asheville 103.3 FM—Reading from Gorilla and "In Conversation" with Jeff Davis and Lockie Hunter. Live Radio! I'll be on WordPlay, Sunday night, August 28th, reading from and talking about my new book, Gorilla. Showtime 5:00 pm. Please join me with hosts extraordinaire Jeff Davis and Lockie Hunter at http://www.ashevillefm.org/wordplay and WSFM-LP 103.3. You can also listen to the recorded program if you can't listen live.

July 2022

The Ekphrastic Review published both Unaware and New Stepfather this month, on July 12th and 27th respectively.

July 2022

Getting to the Bottom of It Published in North Carolina Poetry Society's Pinesong: Anthology of Winning Poems for 2022. The poem also appears in my book, Gorilla, forthcoming September 1st, 2022, from Main Street Rag Publishing Company.

June 11, 2022

Gorilla Video. Main Street Rag has published a video for Gorilla. Pre-order Gorilla now and get a fabulous pre-publication discount -- $8.50 versus $14.00 after it comes out in September. Buy my book! Thank you, The Management!

June 4, 2022

Iconic at St. Andrew's-Sewanee. I was honored to read my poem, Iconic, at the Alumni Awards Ceremony at St. Andrew's-Sewanee. We convened on The Mountain to celebrate our 50th high school reunion from Sewanee Military Academy -- "a school so incredible it no longer exists" (from Iconic).

May 24, 2022 • 7:00 PM EDT

Poetry Under the Stars at The Tryon Fine Arts Center. I'll host an evening of Poetry Under the Stars at the Tryon Fine Arts Center with six wonderful poets; seven including me. Tickets $10. Beer and wine available. Please join us.

May 21, 2022 • 1:00 PM EDT

Getting to the Bottom of It Awarded Honorable Mention in Poetry of Courage Contest

The North Carolina Poetry Society awarded my poem Getting to the Bottom of It an Honorable Mention in their Poetry of Courage Contest. Please tune in as I read the poem on Zoom May 21st at 1:00 PM.

Coming Fall 2022!

Gorilla, debut poetry book, from Main Street Rag Publishing Company! I'm excited to have just signed a contract with Main Street Rag Publishing Company for Gorilla, forthcoming in the Fall of 2022.

December 3, 2021 • 6:00 PM

Euphemism, Illinois State University's Creative Arts Journal--Issue Launch. Live event! I'll read my poems Fiancée Arcade and You Have Won a New Car, which appear in the new issue. Join us on campus in Stevenson Hall, Friday, December 3rd, 2021, at 6:00 PM, in Normal, Illinois.

Fall, 2021

BlazeVOX publishes Washing Machine, Smashing Glasses, and George Washington at Walmart

June, 2021

Unforeseen Consequences of Cremation published in Reed Magazine's first ever stand-alone poetry chapbook. A novel offering from Reed Magazine featuring a letterpress cover and hand-sewn pages.

June 7, 2021 • 7:30 PM

Carl Jung NC Prize-Winning Poems, Live and Free. Please tune in as I read my poem Movie Theater which won Honorable Mention in the JungNC Poetry Contest. Go to JungNC.org for info.

November 12, 2020 • 7:00 PM

@CarolinaPoets, Virtual Facebook Reading #PoetryGoesViral. I'll be one of three featured poets.

September 22, 2020

From Cork, Ireland's, The Echo

Heartache, death, and joy, all encapsulated in this one photo ... sent to me by my sister, Annie.

February 17, 2020 • 8:00 PM

The BLOCK off Biltmore, Asheville, NC

Tomb of the Unknown Father, Presidents’ Day Poetry

October 15, 2019 • 7:00 PM

Tryon Fine Arts Center, Tryon, NC

In Their Own Words, Carolina poets presented by the Stage Door Series