The Night the Rain Had Nowhere to Go

Appalachian poet William Woolfitt’s latest collection, The Night the Rain Had Nowhere to Go, brings together elegy and awe. Part environmental documentary, part folk songbook, each poem manifests places riddled with mystery, moving from climate change and rural resilience to more personal vignettes of individuals carving out homes in West Virginia and Tennessee. Despite the ongoing presence or threat of disaster, Woolfitt’s voice clings to beauty while seeking what can still be salvaged and preserved.

William Woolfitt grew up in Farmington, West Virginia. He is the author of four poetry collections, two story collections, and an essay collection. Ring of Earth (stories) was published by Madville Publishing in 2023; Eyes Moving Through the Dark (essays) is forthcoming from Orison Books. He attended Fairmont State University, Hollins University, and Penn State University, and lives in Southeast Tennessee.