In Conversation with Earl J. Wilcox on The Surfacing of Joy and the Foundations of Loblolly Press

Welcome to Loblolly Press: In Conversation, a podcast exploring the voices shaping contemporary Southern literature. In this episode, I sit down with poet Earl J. Wilcox to discuss his debut collection, The Surfacing of Joy, and the role it played in launching Loblolly Press.Recorded on Christmas Eve in Earl’s Rock Hill, South Carolina apartment, our conversation also moves through the heart of his work — We discuss the evolution of his creative process, the impact of his vision loss and aging, and the ways his writing continues to shift in response to life’s changes. Since Earl no longer reads his own work aloud, I had the honor of reading selections from his book, alongside a new poem, “Love in Hurricane Season”, he recently published in Understory: A Digital Zine for Relief in Western North Carolina.We also reflect on the beginnings of Loblolly Press—how Earl’s trust in this endeavor, both as a writer and as our first investor financially, helped make the Press possible. Without him, Loblolly wouldn’t exist in the way it does today. This episode is not just about poetry—it’s about our sense of place, the persistence of joy despite the very real challenges of our time, and the relationships and community that help us move forward.Exclusive Offer:To celebrate, we’re offering The Surfacing of Joy at 20% off for a limited time. And in April, we’ll open preorders for Earl’s second collection, arriving in June 2025, just in time for National Poetry Month.Credits:🎤 Hosted by Andrew Mack📖 Guest: Earl J. Wilcox🎧 Produced by Loblolly PressListen & Subscribe:🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts—don’t forget to like, subscribe, download, and leave a review to help others discover the voices of Loblolly Press.📚 Get The Surfacing of Joy at 20% Off🌳 Tag us on social media with your thoughts on the episode! Use #LoblollyPressPodcast to join the conversation.Follow Us:📍 Instagram: @loblolly_press💻 Website: loblollypress.com📰 Subscribe to our newsletter on Substack for updates on upcoming episodes, new book releases, and more. Get full access to Loblolly Press on Substack at loblollypress.substack.com/subscribe