Welcome to
Morgan A. DePue Poetry 

about me

My ancestral roots run deep in the hills and hollars of West Virginia. Nothing in this world compares to the comfort of the rolling green hills and sharp rockfaces of the Appalachians, so I've settled in Western North Carolina (for now), and teach at Appalachian State University. 

I've dabbled in writing from my single-digit years. A poem here, a silly stab at a scary story there, but something shifted in my late teens and I've called myself a poet ever since. I do write fiction and nonfiction, but poetry is my constant and my autistic special interest. I'll write about pret' near anything; nothing is safe; everything is sacred.

Truth of it is that in all my darkest times, poetry has saved me. Poetry is the most effective means for me to connect with people, so sharing it has been the enduring work of my life. I believe that poetry can save us all; it's that thread that connects us conveyed in language. We've got to get the work out there to make the world better.  

readings & poetry outreach 

In 2010, after going to the open mic twice, I was asked to join Poetry Lincolnton's featured reader line-up with Devona Wyant and Shane Manier. We spent the next several years organizing our regular Poetry Lincolnton readings with special guests and travelling around the state to share our work and engage in poetry events.  The energy of those years and the pure feminine power of it was unmatched and something I'll always cherish.

In that era, I also spent time launching Guerilla Poets with Shane, striving to get poetry to the people. We gave workshops and readings at schools and women's shelters, held fundraisers, created a new open mic that welcomed everyone, and brought poetry to the streets - literally. I'm proud to have been a part of those early days. Shane still does the good work in her region.

These days you can find me reading poetry at events in the mountains and NC foothills and sometimes at the bar down the way in Lansing. 

When I'm not writing, teaching, making art, or wrestling my autoimmune disease, you can find me wandering the hills, streams, and rivers of the amphibolite range in North Carolina. 

And if it matters that much to ya, I hold a Bachelor's of Science in Sustainable Development and a Master's of Art in English. 

If there's anything else you want to know, click the contact button, write me a missive, and I'll get back to you quick as I can. 

tldr bio:

I write poems. I'm Appalachian. I'm autistic and autoimmune disabled.  People usually love it when I read my poems to them. I think the world would be better with a lot more poems and a lot less bombs.