The Appalachian region stretches from Mississippi to New York, encompassing rural areas as well as cities from Birmingham to Pittsburgh. Though Appalachia's people are as diverse as its terrain, few other regions in America are as burdened with stereotypes. Author Frank X Walker coined the term "Affrilachia" to give identity and voice to people of African descent from this region and to highlight Appalachia's multicultural identity. This act inspired a group of gifted artists, the Affrilachian Poets, to begin working together and using their writing to defy persistent stereotypes of Appalachia as a racially and culturally homogenized region.

After years of growth, honors, and accomplishments, the group is acknowledging its silver anniversary with Black Bone. Edited by two newer members of the Affrilachian Poets, Bianca Lynne Spriggs and Jeremy Paden, Black Bone is a beautiful collection of both new and classic work and features submissions from Frank X Walker, Nikky Finney, Gerald Coleman, Crystal Wilkinson, Kelly Norman Ellis, and many others. This illuminating and powerful collection is a testament to a groundbreaking group and its enduring legacy.

Preface by Shauna M. Morgan
Introduction by Bianca Lynne Spriggs & Jeremy Paden
ROOT
Paul C. Taylor, Call Me Out My Name
Forrest Gray Yerman, 'Going Up' with the Affrilachian Poets
Frank X Walker, Affrilachia
Kelly Norman Ellis, Affrilachian MixTape I: Turntablism
Gerald L. Coleman, Bless Your Heart
Nikky Finney, Brown Country
Ricardo Nazario y Colón, Tujcalusa
Crystal Wilkinson, O Tobacco
Ellen Hagan, Grits
Shayla Lawson, The Kentucky-ist
Joy Priest, In the City
Makalani Bandele, fleur-de-lis, On Aging
Bianca Lynne Spriggs, Praisesong for a Mountain
Crystal Dawn Good, Black Diamonds
Jeremy Paden, The Hills We Grew On
LIMB
Jeremy Paden, On Whiteness
Ricardo Nazario y Colón, Of Jíbaros and Hillbillies
Shanna L. Smith, Rooted
Kelly Norman Ellis, Raised by Women
Remica Bingham-Risher, The Negro Travelers' Green Book: 1957, Portrait of Mother's Kitchen
Randall Horton, Ace of Spades: September 15, 1973
Bernard Clay, the good couch, learning how to use motherfucker
Frank X Walker, Burying Albatross
Ellen Hagan, American Arabic, Irish, Italian Abecedarian w/ Blue(d)grass & Bourbon(d) Influences
Rane Arroyo, Even Tricksters Get the Blues
Shayla Lawson, Pantone 130C
Danni Quintos, Pond's White Beauty, Portrait of My Dad Through a Tent Window
Joy Priest, Nightstick
Stephanie Pruitt, The Dark Room
Keith S. Wilson, Robatto Mulatto
TONGUE
Marta Maria Miranda-Straub, Social Justice Prayer
Asha French, Mama Outsider: Reminder Notes to a Dancing Girl
Kamilah Aisha Moon, Initiation
Mitchell L.H. Douglas, 127 Notebooks
Amanda Johnston, Answer the Call
Stephanie Pruitt, A Study in Sound and Silence
A. H. Jerriod Avant, We Were Being Detained
Dorian Hairston, For Drunk Mike, Manifesto for Black Baseball Players
Rane Arroyo, The Piñata Boy
Jude McPherson, I Hate Crowds or Yippy Ki Yay Murica, FUCK YO COUCH!!!!
Mitchell L.H. Douglas, Is it Wrong?
Norman Jordan, One eyed critics, Where Do People in Dreams Come From?
Amanda Johnston, Another Morning Blessed Be
Keith S. Wilson, Augury
Bianca Lynne Spriggs, Black Bone
Bios
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