Willie Edward Taylor Carver, Jr.

Willie Edward Taylor Carver, Jr. is an advocate, Kentucky Teacher of the Year, and the author of Gay Poems for Red States, a BookRiot Best Book of 2023 and named an IndieBound & American Booksellers Association’s must-have book for poetry lovers. He writes about queer and Appalachian identity, focusing on innocence.  Carver’s story has been featured on ABC, CBS, PBS, NPR, Washington Post, Le Monde, and Good Morning America. He testified before the US Congressional Committee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties about the schools’ failure to protect students. His work is published in 100 Days in Appalachia, 2RulesofWriting, Another Chicago Magazine, Largehearted Boy Blog, Miracle Monocle, Smoky Blue Literary Magazine, and Good River Review.