Marc Harshman is the 7th Poet Laureate of West Virginia appointed by Governor Earl Ray Tomblin in 2012 in recognition of his work for both poetry and children’s literature. He holds degrees from Bethany College, Yale University Divinity School, and the University of Pittsburgh. He has also recently received honorary doctorates from Bethany College and West Liberty University in recognition of his life’s work.
Mr. Harshman’s most recent full-length collection of poems, Believe What You Can, was published by The Vandalia Press of West Virginia University and was the winner of the 2017 Weatherford Award from the Appalachian Studies Association. His four chapbooks of poetry include Rose of Sharon and Mad River, MA. Periodical publications include The Georgia Review, Emerson Review, Salamander, Poetry Salzburg Review, Gargoyle, and many others in the US and abroad. His poems have been anthologized by Kent State University, the University of Iowa, University of Georgia, SPM Publications [London], and the University of Arizona.