What do you think?
Rate this book
I Thought I Heard A Cardinal Sing: Ohio's Appalachian Voices
"I Thought I Heard A Cardinal Sing" - Ohio's Appalachian Voices is an anthology focused on the unique culture of Ohio's Appalachian population. A one-of-a-kind collection, sponsored by the Academy of American Poets and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Editor Kari Gunter-Seymour writes: "Within these pages you will find a lavish mix of voices-Affrilachian, Indigenous, non-binary and LGBTQ; from teens to those creatively aging; poets in recovery, some with disabilities or developmental differences; emerging and well established; some living in the state, others from assorted locations throughout the country-all with a deep connection to Appalachian Ohio. The work speaks honestly and proudly as it represents Ohio's Appalachian population, providing examples of honor, endurance, courage, history, love of family, the land; and provides evidence of how even against the odds our people continue to thrive, to work hard to build awareness and overcome mainstream America's negative response to those with a strong Appalachian heritage."
- GenresPoetry
261 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2022
3 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Kari Gunter-Seymour
20 books22 followersALONE IN THE HOUSE OF MY HEART (Ohio University Swallow Press 2022)
“A breathtaking, artful set of poems on loss, family, place, and memory.”
--Kirkus (Starred review)
“We reckon that nine generations in Appalachia is long enough for a place to get in the bones of a family, and that kinheritance has marked Kari Gunter-Seymour with an intuitive feel for one of America’s most isolated and peculiar regions.”
--Matt Sutherland, Foreword Reviews
“Kari Gunter-Seymour’s talent shines like a diamond in this collection: solid, clear, sparkling.”
--Donna Meredith, Southern Literary Review
Deeply rooted in respect and compassion for Appalachia and its people, the poems included in "Alone in the House of My Heart" are both paeans to and dirges for past and present family, farmlands, factories, and coal. The collection resounds with candid, lyrical poems about Appalachia’s social and geographical afflictions and affirmations. History, culture, and community shape the physical and personal landscapes of Gunter-Seymour’s native southeastern Ohio soil, scarred by Big Coal and fracking, while food insecurity and Big Pharma leave their marks on the region’s people. A musicality of language swaddles each poem in hope and a determination to endure. Alone in the House of My Heart offers what only art can: a series of thought-provoking images that evoke such a clear sense of place that it’s familiar to anyone, regardless of where they call home.
Gunter-Seymour is the Poet Laureate of Ohio, a ninth generation Appalachian and editor of "I Thought I Heard A Cardinal Sing: Ohio's Appalachian Voices, a one-of-a-kind anthology, funded by the Academy of American Poets and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Gunter-Seymour is the executive director and editor of the Women of Appalachia Project™ anthologies, "Women Speak," volumes 1-8 and "Essentially Athens Ohio," an anthology focused on landmarks, tales and experiences of those living in or deeply connected to Athens county. She holds a B.F.A. in graphic design and an M.A. in commercial photography and is a retired instructor in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. A poem she wrote in support of families living in poverty in Athens County, OH, went viral and has been seen by over 100,000 people, resulting in thousands of dollars donated to her local food pantry.
Her poetry collections include "Alone in the House of My Heart" (Ohio University Swallow Press, 2022), "A Place So Deep Inside America It Can’t Be Seen" (Sheila Na Gig Editions, 2020), winner of the 2020 Ohio Poet of the Year Award and the chapbook "Serving" (Crisis Chronicals Press 2020). Her work has been featured on Verse Daily, Cultural Daily, World Literature Today, the New York Times and Poem-a-Day.
Gunter-Seymour is an Ohio Creative Aging Teaching Artist; a retired instructor in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University; an artist in residence at the Wexner Center for the Arts and a Pillars of Prosperity Fellow for the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio.
Her award winning photography has been published nationally in The Sun Magazine, Light Journal, Looking at Appalachia, Storm Cellar Quarterly, Anthology of Appalachian Writers, Vine Leaves Journal and Appalachian Heritage Magazine.
www.karigunterseymourpoet.com
“A breathtaking, artful set of poems on loss, family, place, and memory.”
--Kirkus (Starred review)
“We reckon that nine generations in Appalachia is long enough for a place to get in the bones of a family, and that kinheritance has marked Kari Gunter-Seymour with an intuitive feel for one of America’s most isolated and peculiar regions.”
--Matt Sutherland, Foreword Reviews
“Kari Gunter-Seymour’s talent shines like a diamond in this collection: solid, clear, sparkling.”
--Donna Meredith, Southern Literary Review
Deeply rooted in respect and compassion for Appalachia and its people, the poems included in "Alone in the House of My Heart" are both paeans to and dirges for past and present family, farmlands, factories, and coal. The collection resounds with candid, lyrical poems about Appalachia’s social and geographical afflictions and affirmations. History, culture, and community shape the physical and personal landscapes of Gunter-Seymour’s native southeastern Ohio soil, scarred by Big Coal and fracking, while food insecurity and Big Pharma leave their marks on the region’s people. A musicality of language swaddles each poem in hope and a determination to endure. Alone in the House of My Heart offers what only art can: a series of thought-provoking images that evoke such a clear sense of place that it’s familiar to anyone, regardless of where they call home.
Gunter-Seymour is the Poet Laureate of Ohio, a ninth generation Appalachian and editor of "I Thought I Heard A Cardinal Sing: Ohio's Appalachian Voices, a one-of-a-kind anthology, funded by the Academy of American Poets and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Gunter-Seymour is the executive director and editor of the Women of Appalachia Project™ anthologies, "Women Speak," volumes 1-8 and "Essentially Athens Ohio," an anthology focused on landmarks, tales and experiences of those living in or deeply connected to Athens county. She holds a B.F.A. in graphic design and an M.A. in commercial photography and is a retired instructor in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. A poem she wrote in support of families living in poverty in Athens County, OH, went viral and has been seen by over 100,000 people, resulting in thousands of dollars donated to her local food pantry.
Her poetry collections include "Alone in the House of My Heart" (Ohio University Swallow Press, 2022), "A Place So Deep Inside America It Can’t Be Seen" (Sheila Na Gig Editions, 2020), winner of the 2020 Ohio Poet of the Year Award and the chapbook "Serving" (Crisis Chronicals Press 2020). Her work has been featured on Verse Daily, Cultural Daily, World Literature Today, the New York Times and Poem-a-Day.
Gunter-Seymour is an Ohio Creative Aging Teaching Artist; a retired instructor in the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University; an artist in residence at the Wexner Center for the Arts and a Pillars of Prosperity Fellow for the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio.
Her award winning photography has been published nationally in The Sun Magazine, Light Journal, Looking at Appalachia, Storm Cellar Quarterly, Anthology of Appalachian Writers, Vine Leaves Journal and Appalachian Heritage Magazine.
www.karigunterseymourpoet.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 5, 2025
ohio poetry ftw
September 2, 2023
Some of the "poems" contained in this collection are merely prose formatted to look like a poem. Others are "prose wannabes", meaning the "poet" set out to tell a story but didn't actually want to tell the reader everything and so set forth a few details, leaving the reader to guess about the holes left in the tale. Some were devoid of feeling, words that lay flat upon the page. Still others were true poetry, evoking images and emotion with lovely or whimsical turns of phrase. For those gems scattered throughout, the book is worth the time it takes to read.
December 26, 2023
A super collection of inspired and evocative poems by many Appalachian poets. It was great to be introduced to poets I had not heard of, in addition to stalwart Ohio-ish writers well-known to me.
Gosh, Appalachian life -- something I have seldom if ever contemplated as a lifelong Ohioan. I just don't have that experience. This book opened up a whole new world to me that is right under my feet and south of me as the map goes. I feel like traveling, experiencing, and meeting new people in the region after taking in these 200 or so poems.
Gosh, Appalachian life -- something I have seldom if ever contemplated as a lifelong Ohioan. I just don't have that experience. This book opened up a whole new world to me that is right under my feet and south of me as the map goes. I feel like traveling, experiencing, and meeting new people in the region after taking in these 200 or so poems.
July 21, 2022
Editor Kari Gunter-Seymour has curated a masterful collection of work that gives a revelatory look at an often-overlooked place: Appalachian Ohio. This is a must read for poetry lovers as well as for anyone who wants to see the real Ohio and not J.D. Vance's erroneous depictions.
November 9, 2023
I often find poems difficult, but found many among the Appalachian voices in this collection that resonated. The collection speaks to the lived-in tradition of Appalachia, not as it was but as it is today. Standouts include Shuly Xóchtil Cawood, David Garrison and Richard Hague.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews