The West Virginia University Press will publish an anthology of poetry, short stories and memoirs by West Virginias finest recent and contemporary writers.

“We are really excited about this project,”said Patrick Conner, Director of the WVU Press.”An anthology is like a menu in a restaurant; it gives you an idea of how many good things await you. From the work of Davis Grubb in the60s through the stunning stories of Breece DJ Pancake in the70sright up to the presentWest Virginia has fostered some of the best writers in the nation. Showcasing them in this anthology will make the strength and power of West Virginia poets and storytellers apparent to the world.”

The states poet laureate, Irene McKinney, is editing the anthology. McKinney has published four books of her own poetry, and individual poems have been included in nearly 200 magazines. McKinney has been a professor at West Virginia Wesleyan College for 11 years where she teaches courses in West Virginia literature.

She earned a masters degree from WVU and a doctorate from the University of Utah, and the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at WVU recently awarded her the prestigious Alumni Recognition Award.

The anthology, as yet untitled, began as a class project in a course taught in the WVU Department of English by Professor Jim Harms.

“The students did a great job of assembling a core of materials,”Conner said.”Dr. McKinney will add to this core, and maybe prune it a little too. Shell provide a valuable introduction to West Virginia writing, and see to it that we produce a collection that West Virginians, wherever they live now, will want on their bookshelves.”

The Press will publish the anthology is both hardback and paperback editions under its Vandalia Press imprint in time for the second annual West Virginia Book Festival in Charleston in October.

The WVU Press is a service of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at WVU , and operates with major support from the WVU Department of English. For more information on the Press and a complete list of titles, seewww.wvupress.com.