Meet Jesse Graves as he reads and discusses poems from his finest collection of poetry, “Merciful Days.”

In these poems, set in his native rural Tennessee, he examines connections that hold people together across generations and against the breaches of time and distance, celebrating their lives in memory. He also closely observes the mythic beauty in the landscape of the region: the animals and plants, the circling of hawks, and the curling of wild ginger leaves, as well as phenomena such as how wind stirs the surface of still water.

Graves is a poet-in-residence and professor of English at East Tennessee State University, He has published four volumes of poetry as well as a collection of essays, “Said-Songs: Essays on Story and Place.” He has an M.F.A. degree in poetry writing from Cornell University and a Ph.D. from the University Tennessee.

Graves will be joined in this poetry celebration by members of the Appalachian Center for Poets and Writers.

A Celebration of Regional Poetry is sponsored by the Friends of the Washington County Public Library and is part of the Sunday with Friends series.