Marc Harshman, a former school teacher in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, is the author of thirteen well-received children’s books as well as a few poetry collections. Tall, slender, very genial and empathetic, he is a perfect choice as the state's current poet-laureate. Like Wilma Dykeman and John Ehle had complementary literary lives across the Tennessee-North Carolina line, Marc and George Ella Lyon have had somewhat complementary lives across the West Virginia - Kentucky line. They are both beloved poets-laureate and distinguished practitioners of both the picture book and poetry arts “Harshman’s poetic sophistication is clear and shows the insight and wisdom of an experienced poet who treats the forces of death, disruption, and dissonance with the seriousness and humor they deserve.” – Eddy Pendarvis.
Morgantown, West Virginia: Vandalia Books, an imprint of West Virginia University Press, 2016, 91 pages, trade paperback