A native of Baton Rouge, Michael Blanchard now lives in the Cadron Valley of Central Arkansas, where he is an adjunct professor of literature at the University of Central Arkansas and editor of SLANT, UCA’s international journal of contemporary poetry. He has also taught at Troy State University (where he was presented the Ingalls Award for Excellence in Classroom Teaching), North Carolina State University, and the University of Louisiana.
For 20 years, he was also an advocate for compassionate care of the sick and dying through his work with hospice organizations in Louisiana and North Carolina. Previous publications include four other books of poetry, the most recent of which is The Pearl Diver’s Daughter & Other Poems (2023). His poems can also be found in Alabama Literary Review, Quarry, Voyeur, Cave Region Review, Bayou Magazine, MockingHeart Review, Stone Poetry Quarterly, and Streetlight Magazine, among others.
Paperback: 96 pages
Publisher: Kelsay Books (February 21, 2026)