Ray McManus is the author of three books of poetry: Punch. (Hub City Press, 2014), Red Dirt Jesus (Marick Press, 2011), and Driving through the country before you are born (USC Press, 2006). His poems and essays have been published in numerous anthologies and journals such as Crazyhorse, Birmingham Poetry Review, Prairie Schooner, and POETRY. Ray is a professor of English at the University of South Carolina Sumter where he teaches Southern Literature, Irish Literature, and creative writing, and he serves as the Writer in Residence for the Columbia Museum of Art. www.raymcmanuspoetry.com