Hickory – Hickory’s Tim Peeler, the first poet to read at Poetry Hickory 11 years ago, returns on December 12 to read from his 3 new books, bringing the monthly series full circle.

A past winner of the Jim Harrison Award for contributions to baseball literature, Tim Peeler has also twice been a nominee for Baseball Book of the Year and received a SIBA Award.

He is the author of 16 books, including this year’s “L2,” continuing the narrative of his iconic Southern, philosophical miscreant, Larry Ledbetter; “Wild in the Strike Zone,” another in his series of baseball poetry, and “Henry River: An American Ruin,” based on the abandoned Henry River Mill Village which borders his home near Hickory and was the setting for “The Hunger Games.”

Peeler is Poetry Editor for Red Hawk Press, and directs the academic assistance programs at Catawba Valley Community College.

The reading begins at 7:00 PM at Taste Full Beans Coffeehouse in downtown Hickory and will be followed by an Open Mic. Poetry Hickory is free and open to the public. Registration for the Open Mic must be made between 6:30 and 7:00 the night of the reading. For more information, contact Scott Owens at Taste Full Beans at 828-234-4266 or [email protected].