Feller

by Denton Loving

Using the natural world as both mirror and lens, the poems in Denton Loving's third full-length collection of poetry explore themes of connection, longing, and the pursuit of a fully lived life. They celebrate "the light that enters the woods and cleanses the wound." They seek the sacred order in everything, from the phases of the moon down to the delicate colors of a moth's wings. And yet, they are not cloistered away from the human struggle--whether with nature, with each other, or with the self. Feller envisions our environment and landscape, not as mere backdrop or ornament but as revelatory forces illuminating the hidden chambers of the self. At once deeply rooted in his Appalachian soil and universally resonant, Feller confirms Loving's position among those rare poets who transmute a sense of place into profound human truth.

Genres: Poetry

65 pages, Paperback

Published August 5, 2025

About the author

Denton Loving lives on a farm near the historic Cumberland Gap, where Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia come together. He is the author of three poetry collections: Feller, Crimes Against Birds, and Tamp which was a finalist for the Weatherford Award and recipient of the inaugural Tennessee Book Award for Poetry. He is also the editor of Seeking Its Own Level: an anthology of writings about water. He has received scholarships and fellowships from organizations such as the Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research, the Eckerd College Writers Conference, and the Key West Literary Seminars. He earned the Master of Fine Arts in Writing and Literature from Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont. He is a co-founder and editor at EastOver Press and its literary journal Cutleaf. His fiction, poetry, essays and reviews have appeared in numerous publications including The Kenyon Review, Tupelo Quarterly, Iron Horse Literary Review and Ecotone.

Reviews

[Hannah Bonner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love being immersed in longing and the Appalachian landscape in this book.

[Donna M. Crow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Denton Loving is a master of the poetic form. His raw vulnerability and use of metaphorical language proves the personal is indeed universal. His awareness of the natural world and how all things are connected pulls us close, whispers the truths of our hearts, This collection is a must read from a poet with a lot to say! Brilliant, insightful, deliciously poignant.

[David Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Denton Loving's poetry, the images he conjures, the connections he makes, the way his writing goes deep but doesn’t leave you behind. (And I'm a stumblefoot reader of poetry, at best.) His new collection “Feller” (Mercer University Press) is his best, I think. My faves include the one about the chimney birds, “squawking their blessings and curses, screeching more need than can ever be swallowed in such tiny beaks,” and “Landmark,” ode to a late Nashville dive of a diner that begins: “Bill spills tipsy / into the Hermitage Café, / orders biscuits as big as a house / and thick sausage gravy.” Buy this book. Realize it’s been poetry you’ve needed, all this time.

[Melanie Hutsell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brave, bold book. Many of its poems are gut-punches. All are dazzling.

[Sarah Small · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely gorgeous book of poetry. I'll be reading this again and again.

[Sin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving poetry

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unlike the poet’s previous two works, this collection seems to lack a central theme. Gathered into groupings like a scrapbook of snapshots, the poems largely explore losses of various kinds but seem to be evading an unspeakable grief that haunts the poet, exemplifying The Octopus School of Poetry: some nifty turns of phrases, “almost worth the burden of those extra hearts” (p. 58).

Favorite Poems:
“Lake Sagatagan Summer”
“Lock the Moon”
“Some Gods”
“Letter to J.”
“Letter to Rilke”
“Marcescence”
“The Octopus School of Poetry”
“Rosy Maple Moth”

[Davin Malasarn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feller is an exciting follow-up to Loving's last collection, Tamp, because it explores such new territory. I really feel like readers get to see another dimension of this beautiful writer. I don't think I'll be alone in saying the prologue is amazing! Other poems throughout the book surprised me in that I couldn't get them out of my head long after reading them. There is a lot of deep and interesting emotion here.

[Keith Pilapil Lesmeister · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and haunting collection that covers a vast emotional terrain. I was fortunate to hear Loving read from this stellar collection at the Appalachian Writers' Workshop (July 2025), where he was on faculty. I can say with confidence that the crowd of 150 people in attendance were wowed by the depth of emotion, the precision of language, and the mastery of craft that only a poet like Loving possesses.

[Laurel Ferejohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Feller, Denton Loving's poetic voice makes me feel like I'm in conversation with a close friend sharing the beautiful vulnerable wisdom of his three hearts. Feller

[Carol Roh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection makes me want to read more of his work.
He's like an astringent Gary Soto.
Or like Mary Oliver, a bit more hollowed out by life.
But still hopeful, still kind.
And maybe, like neither of them,
with an ear cocked to a metric undercurrent that zings.
Thank you, Denton Lonving.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection.

[Michael Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feller is lovely. "Outside San Miguel" is a favorite.