Valerie Nieman, assistant professor of English and journalism, is one of 14 poets with North Carolina connections to be included in a new scholarly anthology of Appalachian writers. Southern Appalachian Poetry: An Anthology of Works by 37 Poets, has been published by McFarland & Co. in its series "Contributions to Southern Appalachian Studies." Other North Carolinians whose poetry and autobiographical essays appear in the volume are past and present poet laureates Fred Chappell and Kathryn Stripling Byer.

"The mountain South thrives on centuries-old traditions, a fact well known to readers of Appalachian literature, which is among the richest and most evocative of any region in the country. Embracing the region's strong narrative tradition, dialect and syntax, the collection also includes poems that redefine the terms of isolation, as technological change and heightened tourism bring the old and new ways into greater tension," according to the publisher.

Nieman is the author of Wake Wake Wake, a poetry collection from Press 53, as well as two novels and a short story collection.