Finding Writerly Courage w. SAVANNAH SIPPLE

Savannah Sipple

Savannah Sipple is the author of WWJD & Other Poems (Sibling Rivalry Press, 2019), which explores what it is to be a queer woman in Appalachia and is rooted in its culture and in her body. (Buy now from IndieBound.) With a beer-drinking Jesus as her wing man, she navigates this difficult terrain of stereotype, conservative Evangelicalism, and, perhaps most, shame. A writer from east Kentucky, her writing has recently been published in Southern Cultures, Split This Rock, Salon, Appalachian Heritage, Waxwing, and other places. She is also the recipient of grants from the Money for Women/Barbara Deming Memorial Fund and the Kentucky Foundation for Women. A professor, editor, and writing mentor, Savannah currently resides in Lexington, Kentucky, with her wife, Ashley.

Discussed In This Episode

Hiding behind other voices. Lacking confidence in your experiences. “We’re just so tired of this same narrative getting tossed along.” The most vulnerable moment of the publishing process. Dorothy Allison, Nikky Finney, and relying on the writers who inspire you. Digging deep—and the doors that open once you do. Coming out. Homosexuality and faith. Wangari Maathai on On Being. The connectedness of sensuality. The ways we hurt one another and ourselves. “I think we’ve gone away from a foundation of love and turned into a foundation of control.” Reading is writing.

Bonus Segment: Queer Appalachian Writing

Savannah talks about the significance of queer narratives in and about her native region.

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