EastOver Press is proud to announce the publication of The Places That Hold, a collection of poems by John Davis Jr.
Davis’ fifth collection of poetry praises the dusty morning light of citrus farming and the pleasures of fatherhood as it explores the darkness of places like the infamous Dozier Reform School in Florida’s panhandle. Intertwining past and present with rural life, social justice, and the value of family, The Places That Hold offers readers a glimpse into the lesser-known corridors of the Sunshine State.
Playwright Michael Presley Bobbitt, author of Florida Man and Trailer Park Elegy, said of the collection, “The Places That Hold braves to tackle some of the darkest memories of our shared Florida history, never gratuitously, always unflinching, and with an eye toward understanding how we are formed and influenced by them…I’m thankful there exists the kind of storytelling in these poems that cannot be shaken loose. You will be thankful, too, to have found this book and to have discovered a masterful storyteller living here among us in the scrub pines and estuaries.”
The Places That Hold was awarded a bronze medal in the 2021 Florida Book Awards.
Davis is a Florida poet and educator. His poetry has appeared in dozens of literary journals internationally, and he has won many writing awards including the 2021 Sidney Lanier Poetry Prize. He holds an MFA from the University of Tampa and has taught literature and writing at secondary schools and colleges for nearly 20 years.
The Places That Hold ▪ John Davis Jr. ▪ Released Dec. 14, 2021
Available now on: Bookshop.org ▪ Barnes & Noble ▪ Amazon
ISBN-13: 978-1-934894-68-2