On Jan. 28, 2025, Joe Wilkins published “Pastoral, 1994,” as a deep look into rural America during that tumultuous time. Almost a year later, his book has been named a finalist for the Stafford/Hall Award for Poetry.

His often lonely work as an author means such an award would make him feel like a truly valued member of the community.

In composing his work, Wilkins dove incredibly deep into the core themes and eliminated any fluff.

“I was trying to write a book that was tight, concise, clear as well as [have] depth to that clarity,” said Wilkins. “Trying to see into poverty, the farm crisis and the struggles of those rural communities.”

Wilkins particularly likes the opening poem, “Genealogy,” where he argues that we are not just the result of our genetic heritage, but also of our environment.

“I come from the fields,” Wilkins wrote for the very first line.

He hopes readers come away feeling closer to, and knowing more about, rural Americans.

While his own life was a vast wellspring of inspiration, he drew plenty of ideas from many of the books he read, particularly the works of poets Michael Griff, Laurel Reed and Michael Dickman.

He chose the year 1994 because that was when he began to self-reflect and consider what he wanted his future to look like at the age of 16. He also wanted to emphasize all the transformations that occurred in the rural U.S. during that year.

Having been raised in a rural community, Wilkins frequently writes about rural America because he finds it to be so misunderstood. Rural communities being so different in culture and perspective from urban communities often led to members of both groups getting angry and misinterpreting what the other group truly believes.

“As someone who has lived in both worlds, one of the things I am often trying to do is speak across that chasm between rural America and the wider urban culture,” said Wilkins.

He sees books less as an escape from reality and more as a way to ground readers more deeply in it. He wants readers to see their surroundings closer to what they truly are.

If you want to read “Pastoral, 1994,” you can find it at 3rd St Books, Nicholson Library or online.

Wilkins’ next book, to be published this fall, will be titled “Every Sky at Home: Essays on Landscape and Family.” It will journey through the process of growing up for his kids and himself, and how their geography affected them.