Bob Sloan is that rare contemporary writer who is not a product of a university MFA program, but whose work is nonetheless attracting serious attention nationally. He has extensive experience in various careers, from construction to social work, and spent a number of years in the military before settling down in Morehead.

Bob has published short fiction in numerous quarterlies and magazines, including Appalachian Heritage, Limestone, and Carve. His poetry has appeared in Wind, Kentucky Poetry Review, Misnomer, and other collections. In 2000, his public radio commentaries were recognized with a PRNDI award from the National Professional Association of Public Radio News Directors. National Public Radio’s national Morning Edition program began featuring his work in 2001.

That same year, Bob was the Gold Medalist in the essay division of the William Faulkner Creative Writing Competition, sponsored by the Faulkner Society of New Orleans. 2003 was also a great year for Bob, as Wind Publishing issued 15 samples of his short fiction under the title Bearskin to Holly Fork: Stories from Appalachia. The book was nominated for the Weatherford Award, the Kentucky Literary Award, and the Appalachian Writers Association’s Book of the Year award (and named the October 2005 selection for bookclub@ket). In addition, Bob has written and narrated audio books and is a contributing columnist for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Program 708

Writers Dianne Aprile and Amelia Blossom Pegram introduce the Jazz and the Spoken Word project at Louisville’s Jazz Factory, Cynthia Changaris shares her passion for storytelling, and Morehead author Bob Sloan reads from his works while accompanied by the fiddle and banjo. (#708)

Program 722

Writers Dianne Aprile and Amelia Blossom Pegram introduce the Jazz and the Spoken Word project at Louisville’s Jazz Factory, Cynthia Changaris shares her passion for storytelling, and Morehead author Bob Sloan reads from his works while accompanied by the fiddle and banjo. (#722)