photo by: Joselyn King

West Virginia Poet Laureate Marc Harshman of Wheeling reads the notes on the back of his most recent book, “Dispatch From The Mountain State.”

WHEELING — West Virginia Poet Laureate Marc Harshman has set forth a new “chapbook” illuminating the current state of the world and celebrating West Virginia.

“Dispatch From The Mountain State” is considered a chapbook, a small book containing a small group of curated poems. It contains about 80 recent works from Harshman.

Harshman, a Wheeling resident, was first appointed poet laureate in 2012 by then Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin.

“The original intention of this book was for me to celebrate my 10th anniversary as poet laureate, but that time has come and gone,” he said. “There have been just natural delays, and I’m just glad the book has come out.”

During the COVID pandemic in 2020, the New York Times commissioned Harshman and other poets throughout the country to create works reflecting their thoughts on the time in their state.

This resulted in Harshman’s title work, “Dispatch From The Mountain State:”

“You see we’re still holding here just enough … despite all we’re doing wrong,” the poem reads.

“Holding on to give not only this man but ourselves enough to be thankful … even this, these little gestures that can rebirth a nation, reconcile not only colors like black and white, like blue and red, but reconcile us one to the other.”

There are other poems with titles mentioning local locations — “Beech Bottom, West Virginia,” “Jackson Pollock and the Starlings, Moundsville, West Virginia;” and “April 17 Romney Road,” which references Harshman’s home neighborhood.

Harshman explained how he is inspired to create his poems.

“As with many things, there are things to celebrate, but you still have to speak with a certain kind of honesty,” he said. “In West Virginia, we’re smart enough to be thankful, but there are tough times.”

Harshman is originally from Indiana, but came to West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle to attend Bethany College. After achieving degrees in both English and religion, he would go on to attend the Yale University Divinity School.

His first poem was printed while he was a graduate assistant at Yale in 1975.

“I was writing seriously at this point, and that is why I went to (the University of Pittsburgh) after getting my degree at Yale.”

He worked as a teaching assistant when working toward his master’s at University of Pittsburgh, and was part-time faculty there.

When he moved back to West Virginia, was hired as part-time faculty at West Virginia Northern Community College.

“After three years, I picked up my teaching certificate and became a grade school teacher in Marshall County for over a decade,” Harshman said. “I enjoyed it. I taught fifth and sixth grades.”

He wouldn’t publish his first chapbook until 1983, and his first children’s book followed in 1989. By this time, he had a family.

“All this time I’m teaching in Marshall County and writing as much as I can in what spare time I have,” Harshman continued. “I remember being young and impatient, and regretting things seemed to be moving so slow.

“I was so busy teaching. But it all came together somehow.”

In 2000, Harshman left teaching to be a full-time writer.

“I had signed not one, but two contracts for children’s books, and I thought it was time to take that leap, give up teaching and be a writer full-time,” he continued. “I haven’t looked back. It’s scary, but I’ve been OK.”

Over time Harshman has published 14 children’s books, five full editions of poetry and four chapbooks.

He credits wife Cheryl for putting him on the path to writing children’s books while they were at Pitt. She was working toward a master’s in library science, and he joined her for a graduate class in storytelling.

Those in the class had to create a story, then present it to the class. At the end, a professor told him he should consider writing children’s stories.

The experience would later lead to Harshman being a judge at the West Virginia Liar’s Contest for more than 20 years in Charleston.

Cheryl Harshman has also published three children’s books through national publishers. In addition, she is an artist who serves as director of the Sandscrest Retreat and Conference Center.

Marc Harshman was named the Appalachian Heritage Writer for 2024, an Appalachian studies program honor from Shepherd University. He also is co-winner of the Allen Ginsberg Poetry Award, and recipient of the 2016 Weatherford Award. It is presented “for the published work that best illuminates the problems, personalities and unique qualities of the Appalachian south.”

But it is all about words for Harshman.

“I was in love with reading and books since I was a little kid,” he said. “It probably was on my mind as a possibility (to be a writer). But I also wanted to be a basketball player. I wanted to be a rock and roll star.

“At Bethany, I wanted to change the world and started as a sociology major. I don’t know what I was thinking,” Harshman added.