Joseph Bathanti has served as the North Carolina Poet Laureate since 2012. He first came to North Carolina in 1976 as a VISTA volunteer where he taught prison inmates. Since then, he has continued volunteering to teach prisoners and chairs the North Carolina Writers' Network Prison project. Bathanti has authored several novels and poetry collections that have received awards. He currently teaches creative writing at Appalachian State University.

1. Joseph Bathanti
NC Poet Laureate
Dr.Bathanti first came to North Carolina
in 1976 as a VISTA (Volunteers in Service
to America) member.He taught prison
inmates at Huntersville Prison and has
since continued volunteering to teach
prisoners and chairs the N.C.Writers’
Network Prison project.
From 1985 to 1989 he traveled Anson,
Union,and McDowell counties with the
North Carolina Visiting Artist Program.
He has earned numerous awards.His first novel,the semi-
autobiographical East Liberty,was published in 2001 and won the
Carolina Novel Award.In 2002,his poem“Land of Amnesia” won the
Linda Flowers Literary Award from the North Carolina Humanities
Council.His most recent work,the poetry collection Restoring Sacred Art
(2010),won the Roanoke-Chowan Award for Poetry.
He is currently a creative writing professor and the writer-in-residence in
the Watauga Global Community at Appalachian State University.
Dr.Bathanti will speak with faculty and students onTues.,Feb.18 on the Old
Charlotte Highway Campus.If you are unable to attend an evening
presentation,please join us 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.in Salon B.
www.spccevents.com
For more information on Joseph Bathanti,visit
www.ncarts.orgeph-bathanti/