There are about as many ways to fall in love with the craft of writing as there are books to be read. But whatever the means of introduction, that first literary gateway drug, it’s typically hard to forget. But for Nashville non-fiction writer Rob Simbeck, his route to an early love of literature, began with an American tragedy. Today Rob speaks with poet Ashley Trabue, about his experience, living through a decade that fractured the country, and how that turmoil pointed him towards a love of telling stories, a discovery that helped to keep Rob from unraveling in more ways than one. Then Ashley takes the broad scope of those experiences, and turns them into poetry.

Versify is a production of Nashville Public Radio and The Porch — Nashville’s nonprofit literary center. Editing for this episode came from WPLN’s Mack Linebaugh with additional editing by Anita Bugg. The episode was written, hosted, and produced by Joshua Moore. Today’s story and poem were recorded by Tasha Lemley at the 2018 Southern Festival of Books.

The music is by Lee Rosevere — found through the Free Music Archive.

The show is distributed by P-R-X.