NC Poet Laureate from 1997-2002.
The Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historical Site is hosting author Fred Chappell on Saturday, June 7.
An author of the Southern experience, Fred Davis Chappell was born on a small farm in Canton, NC in 1936. He has written more than a dozen books of poetry as well novels, short stories and two books of critical prose.
Chappell has received several awards for his contributions to literature, including the T.S. Eliot Prize, the Aiken Taylor Award and was named the Poet Laureate of North Carolina spanning 1997-2002.
Chappell’s poetry and prose encapsulates the Southern experience. However, the work, Dagon, is a referential piece to H.P. Lovecraft’s story of the same name in the famed “Cthulhu Mythos.” For Dagon, Chappell was awarded the Best Foreign Book of the Year prize by the French Academy in 1972.
Chappell taught at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro for over 40 years and helped establish the MFA in writing program. Now retired, Chappell lives in North Carolina.
Fred Chappell will read selections from his work on Saturday, June 7 from 2-3 p.m. at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, 52 North Market Street, downtown Asheville. Phone (828) 253-8304 for more details.