Kari Gunter-Seymour is the Poet Laureate of Ohio and a 9th generation Appalachian. Her award-winning poetry collections include Dirt Songs (EastOver Press 2024) and Alone in the House of My Heart (Ohio University Swallow Press, 2022). She is the executive director and editor of the Women of Appalachia Project’s Women Speak anthology series. Her work has been featured in a variety of journals and periodicals including World Literature Today, American Book Review, The New York Times and Poem-a-Day. Find her at www.karigunterseymourpoet.com and IG: karigunterseymour.