By Micah Holmes

Charity Gingerich, a soon to be graduate of the MFA program here at WVU, grew up Mennonite in Hartville, Ohio. She has become quite a prolific poet and nonfiction writer during her time in the program. Five of her poems have been published online in the November 2010 issue of The Center for Mennonite Writing Journal, the essay “Of the Meadow” appeared in the December 2010 issue of Ruminate and was nominated for a Pushcart Prize that same month, and the poem “Walking, with Blackberries” can be found in the March 2011 issue of Ruminate. She has also been nominated for inclusion in the 2011 volume of Best New Poets, and two of her poems were nominated for the AWP Intro Awards. Charity earned her Bachelor’s from Kent State University in 2006 where she majored in English with minors in Writing and History. Quite the impressive pedigree indeed.

When I asked Charity what inspires her, she replied “Spring, lilacs, tulips, and daffodils.” After having the opportunity to participate in workshop with Charity for two years now, this statement is no surprise. Charity has an incredible eye for the natural world. She always knows which bird goes where in a poem, and what flower or European cityscape goes on the other side of the scale. Add to that a complex investigation into personal identity and interpersonal relationships, and Charity’s poems transcend the pastoral to reach out to touch the modern heart.

Charity’s work leaves the reader with a new understanding of the view from the window and the quality of the earth underfoot. Her short terms goals are “to plant at least 100 bulbs,” and “defy the deer and the neighborhood dog, which is really a groundhog.” I’m sure we’ll be seeing those bulbs and that “dog” show up in a poem or two in the future. I am also confident that Charity’s work will continue to reach audiences in journals and in book form in the coming years.