This program is presented Free to the public through the generosity of Judith Phoenix.

About the program:

In this program series, BRAHM's programs and outreach director Willard Watson III will be in conversation with interesting and creative people from across the region. We hope you'll join us for a drink, a snack, and quality conversation. Just make sure to come curious. 

In this installment, Willard will be joined by Hilda Downer, the inaugural High Country Poet Laureate. They will discuss Hilda's poetic process, her journey as an artist, the role writing plays in her life, and her most recent edited anthology, Had I A Dove: Appalachian Poets on the Helene Flood. 

About the guest:

Hilda Downer is the inaugural High Country Poet Laureate and author of four collections of poetry and forthcoming chapbook, Seeds of Gems and Metals. Her second book, Sky Under the Roof, was a Nautilus Golden Poetry Winner in Books for a Better World. She edited the anthology, Had I a Dove: Appalachian Poets on
the Helene Flood released in September 2025 by Redhawk Publications with all proceeds going to the Community Foundation’s Helene Flood Relief Fund. She retired from teaching English at Appalachian State University and has recently retired as a psychiatric nurse. She holds an MFA from Vermont College and is a long-term member of the Southern Appalachian Writers Cooperative, the Appalachian Studies Association, North Carolina Writers Network, and the North Carolina Writers Conference. She grew up in Bandana of Mitchell County, NC, and lives in Sugar Grove, NC.