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Appalachian rituals
follow codes of what to keep,
and what to throw away.
--from “Milkweed Pods and Chinquapins,” All
There is to Keep
On Thursday, April 24 at 7:00 pm, join the English
Department and the Creative Writing Committee to
celebrate the posthumous release of Rita Riddle’s poetry
collection, All There Is to Keep.
Late colleague and friend Rita Sizemore
Riddle left behind a manuscript of poems variously
called Blessing the Wishbone and Dark Fire. Her husband,
David Riddle, asked RU English faculty Laurie Cubbison
and Chelsea Adams to find the manuscript among Rita’s
papers. They also discovered about 10 poems that Rita
wrote after she was diagnosed with cancer.
Rita had long ago introduced Jim Minick
to the Southern Appalachian Writer’s Cooperative (SAWC),
and at the group’s annual gathering, Jim told them about
the manuscript. Wanting to honor Rita—her work and
support for their writing—SAWC put up the money to
publish the book.
Jim edited the work and, with the help of
Parks Lanier, found groupings for the poems, including a
special tribute to, of course, Hardee’s. Theresa Burriss
also read and responded to the poems, as did SAWC
members Frankie Finley, Ron Houchin, and Dana Wildsmith.
Iris Press, of Oak Ridge, Tennessee,
designed and published the collection as All There Is
to Keep. The book features an affectionate
introduction by Minick and warm afterword by “Parksie”
Lanier. It also includes that photograph of those
mischievous eyes peering over the “Dr. Mama” license
plate, masking Rita’s ever-present but dearly missed
smile.
All proceeds from the sale of the books
will be donated to an RU creative writing scholarship in
Rita’s name. Anyone wishing to buy the book can contact
Jim Minick—it also available through
major online booksellers.
Several former students of Rita’s will
attend and special guests will read from her work. The
event will be held in the Flossie Martin Gallery and
will be a great opportunity to join friends in paying
tribute to Rita. |
