North Carolina’s Poet Laureate from 2012– 2014, Joseph Bathanti is a professor in Appalachian State University’s Department of English. He teaches courses in fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry, and is also writer-in-residence at Appalachian’s Watauga Residential College.
As an award-winning poet, Bathanti knows the value and allure of a degree in English (BA) – Creative Writing. He describes it as rigorous, adventurous and more than a curriculum.
“It’s a lifestyle that changes lives and fuels dreams. It not only equips our students with a set of new eyes to view the world and its people, but charges them with reimagining their own lives,” he said.
Bathanti also knows that students in the program get great value out of their education because the Creative Writing program is committed to nurturing undergraduates. “The Department of English doesn’t offer a graduate degree specifically in creative writing, so undergraduates get all our attention. This is the best program of its kind in the state,” he said.
