Wes Blake
@wesblake
Award-winning author. 📍Kentucky HAZELGREEN & OTHER HAUNTS is forthcoming in ‘27 from WVU Press; PINEVILLE TRACE (Etchings Press) 💙 cats, trees, music | wesblake.com
Stoked to talk about book tours and publicity at AWP ‘27 Chicago with these awesome writers—Jared Lemus, Karol Lagodzki , & @agatabrewer.bsky.social ! #awp27 #booktour #bookpublicity
If you’re a Gen X music and book fanatic like me, you are also a big fan of Chuck Klosterman. I got a chance to interview Chuck back in 2017. My thanks to Chuck and editor Chris Tula, who published this in the great Fiction Southeast Journal. Link in comments. #writingcraft #chuckklosterman
Love music and books? Check out our chat that aired recently on Hoot and Holler via WESU 88.1. Host Ed McKeon and I chat about all things literary and music. I’m the first guest to request a song by a certain band…. Listen to find out which one. Link in comments.
For National Book Day, consider one of these awesome reads from Appalachian authors who converged recently at the Appalachian Writers' Workshop at Hindman Settlement School. All are available at Read Spotted Newt. Photo credit: Sarah Insalaco #nationalbookday #appalachianlit #appalachia #books
Looking for a cat-centric book for International Cat Day? Pig has a recommendation. Link in comments. #internationalcatday
Love writing flash fiction? Check out the F(r)iction Fall Flash Fiction Contest! I’m stoked to be judging this great contest. Learn more at link in comments. #writingcontests #flashfictioncontests #flashfictionwriters
If you’re at Hindman Settlement School for the Appalachian Writers Workshop, I’d love to see you at this generative writing workshop! #writing #writingcraft #appalachianwritersworkshop
My new review of Sherrie Flick’s I HAVE NOT CONSIDERED CONSEQUENCES is live at the recent RAIN TAXI Online Edition. Link in first comment.
I’m excited to be a judge for the F(r)iction Fall Writing contest! Flash fiction writers—I’m looking forward to reading your work! Joy Deva Baglio will be judging short stories, and Renia White will be judging poetry. Send us your work! Visit link in comments. #writingcontest #flashfictioncontest
On Denis Johnson’s birthday, I’m remembering this day 12 years ago when I met him in Lisbon via Bluegrass Writers Studio and Disquiet Literary Program . He’s my favorite writer and visited our workshop. I wrote an essay on Substack about it: open.substack.com/pub/wesblake...
Awards for PINEVILLE TRACE, a Southern Gothic, flash novella from the Univ. of Indianapolis’ Etchings Press about a former revival preacher who escapes from prison in 1970’s Kentucky, following a cat named Buffalo while confronting his past and seeking redemption.
I’m stoked to be part of the inaugural Appalachian Literary Arts Festival in my childhood home of Morehead, Kentucky! There’s so many writers, artists, and musicians there I admire. Come see us!
New podcast alert! The new episode of READ APPALACHIA dropped today! Em J Parsley and I talk about novellas, why we love short fiction, unique structures, Gurney Norman, books that inspired us, and nature as healer. Give it a listen!
I’ll be teaching a flash fiction and a paths to publication class this Friday and Saturday at the 20th annual Mountain Heritage Literary Festival at Lincoln Memorial University! Get tickets at link in comments. #appalachianlit #writingcommunityofinstagram #writingcraft #flashfiction #publication
Honored to be included in this list and to have my work in Porchlight: A Journal of Southern Literature. Check out their journal—they’re doing good work. Read article at link in first comment. Thanks to editor-in-chief Randy Mackin and their other editors. #southernlit
PINEVILLE TRACE is a FINALIST for the Eric Hoffer Book Award! Thanks to the judges for recognizing the book! Learn more about the award: www.hofferaward.com/Eric-Hoffer-... Learn more about the book at wesblake.com #HofferAward #BookAward #literaryfiction #appalachianlit #southernlit
Kingsport, Tennessee! A mess of Appalachian authors associated with Hindman Settlement School will be arriving at Kingsport Public Library on Friday, May 15 from 3-6 pm to read, tell stories, meet you, and sign their books! We hope to see you! Please feel free to share! #appalachianauthors
New interview about flash fiction, constraints, influences, inspiration, craft, and more! Thanks to the Flash Fiction Institute , Kim Culbertson, and Grant Faulkner for featuring me! If you don’t follow them already, you should! Link in first comment. #flashfiction #writingcraft #authorinterview
Congrats to ETSU’s 10th annual Spring Literary Festival! Founder Jesse Graves brought in Ron Rash, Juan Martinez, Nickole Brown, Rose McLarney, and shared work from their talented students and faculty. #appalachianlit #literaryfestival
Stoked to have words in the new spring Appalachian Journal spring ‘26 issue! Check out my review of Julie Hensley’s FIVE OAKS. Thanks to Jessica Cory for including me and putting together this stellar issue! Get a copy! #appalachianlit #writingcommunity #literaryjournal #bookreview #fiveoaks
Join us for the 20th Annual Mountain Heritage Literary Festival, May 29 and 30 at Lincoln Memorial University. Founder @silashouse.bsky.social will be keynote speaker. Engaging courses w/ Charles Dodd White, Mandi Fugate Sheffel , Wes Blake, Meg Wade. Get tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e/20th-annua...
HAZELGREEN AND OTHER HAUNTS: A Memoir of Place-in-Essays is a finalist for the River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Book Prize! Exciting things are coming soon. Stay tuned. This book is about Appalachia, impermanence, Sam Shepard, an eastern Kentucky jazz pianist, place, stories, and time.
When I get this time machine working, I’ll be stopping here! Thanks to Grayson for sharing this. This is one of my favorite songs, and Midway, KY is the town on the north side of the county I live in. Somehow I never ran into Sam Shepard, but a lot of my friends did.
Good times signing books and meeting readers at the Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville! #appalachianlit #southernlit
Had a blast at the Appalachian Studies Assciation Conference (ASA)! Loved our panels “Appalachian Men Write the Seasons of Love” and “Animal Rescues in Appalachian Literature.”
Looking forward to seeing everyone in Huntington, West Virginia at the Appalachian Studies Association Conference! #appalachianlit
Charlottesville! We’ll be at the Virginia Festival of the Book this Saturday from noon until 6pm. Drop by, say hello, and get a signed book if you’re in the area! #bookfestival #appalachianlit #southernlit
Love animals? Love Appalachia? Check out our panel at the 49th Annual Appalachian Studies Association Conference at Marshall University! #appalachianlit #animals