Five Poems From ‘The Red Ahead‘ by Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr.

Excerpted from The Red Ahead, the new collection from Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr., these five poems treat a Mothman sighting the way a preacher treats a vision: as something that demands a response.

Hear Willie Carver read "Chirp," “Cubist Cryptid,” "Mothman Wants," "Unknown Name. 1867.," and "Family Cookout Omen, 1988."

Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr. is advocate, educator, author, and former Kentucky Teacher of the Year. His work is focused on advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and creating inclusive spaces for students, especially within the context of Appalachia. He latest book is the poetry collection The Red Ahead (2026, North Meridian Press). He is also the author of Tore All to Pieces (2026, University Press of Kentucky), a fragmented novel about a small town in Appalachia and the interconnectedness of our identities, and Gay Poems for Red States (2023, UPK), a bestselling collection of narrative poetry about his childhood growing up queer in Appalachia. The collection was named an honor book for the 2024 Stonewall Book Award–Barbara Gittings Literature Award from the American Library Association and won a 2025 Rainbow Advocacy Award.