This one is an “oldie” but a goodie – have you gotten a chance to read through Piercing the Veil: Appalachian Visions by Byron Hoot and Greg Clary? It is an incredibly varied, deeply humanistic, inspired collaboration of work by a poet and a photographer.

Hoot and Clary met in Pennsylvania as adults but discovered they were both West Virginia boys with a heart for the holler. They came up with the idea to work together when Clary sent Hoot a photo he had taken and Hoot responded with a poem based on the image. They thought, why not make a book full of ekphrastic, bespoke poems accompanied by heartfelt and honest photography.

The result is 56 large pages of engrossing work. Each poem is paired with its inspiring photograph and the print is vibrant. Clary and Hoot cover subjects from Appalachian culture to religion to hunting to the great outdoors. If you haven’t taken a look yet, come by Watershed Books today to grab your own copy!