Murray State’s latest guest author shared a glimpse into his life as a gay educator in the Appalachian south and the strong connection between queer identity and creative expression. 

Willie Carver, the 2022 Kentucky Teacher of the Year and author of “Gay Poems for Red States,” visited Murray State on Thursday, April 18 to share excerpts of his poetry and the life experiences that inspired themit. The Pride Center and the department of English and philosophy welcomed him as their combined guest.

Constance Alexander, a local journalist and poet and the discussion moderator, introduced Carver with an excerpt from her commentary on “Gay Poems for Red States” from the Kentucky Lantern.

Carver began with a story of how comforting school felt when he was a child in a struggling Southern family. He called his teacher’s ability to educate and provide for her students “(his) definition of magic.” He became the first in his family to attend college, earning his degrees in French and English at Morehead State University.

Carver taught for nearly 15 years in Mount Sterling, Kentucky, and was named Teacher of the Year in 2022 with the endorsement and support of his students. However, his accomplishment was met with bigoted cruelty and threats to Carver and his students. When the administration of his school refused to speak out against the attacks, Carver ended his career as a high school teacher and began writing “Gay Poems for Red States.”

“Gay Poems for Red States” is a poetry collection of impactful moments from Carver’s childhood. Since its publication in 2023, it has received a number of accolades including Book Riot Best Book of 2023, Top Ten Best Book of Appalachia and the 2024 Stonewall Book Award. 

Carver’s poems explore running themes of family, love, struggle and perseverance. He described his recollections as a younger self teaching him lessons he had forgotten and proving that he could overcome his struggles in adulthood as he had in his youth.

Abigail Cox, director of the Pride Center, said guest lectures like this are students’ opportunities to explore their interests, personal experiences and campus communities. The activities offered by the Pride Center often revolve around art, writing and other mediums of creative expression. She said making and sharing creative works can help LGBTQ+ people feel more free in restrictive societies.

“There is something uniquely heavy and resilient about living authentically within a system that does not support you,” Cox said. “The creative writing program under the English and philosophy department does a phenomenal job of bringing in diverse perspectives and voices for our students to connect with and learn from.”

Charley Allen-Dunn, director of web management and digital marketing, published her own poetry collection, “The Scar It Leaves,” earlier this year. It explores similar themes of life and love as an LGBTQ+ person in Kentucky. She said Carver’s work read like a love letter to his family and Appalachian culture in Kentucky.

“It is so important for Murray State to host events like this on campus,” Allen-Dunn said. “Our students had the opportunity to see an openly gay person from Kentucky who is succeeding – you cannot underestimate the impact of that. Representation matters.”