Catawba College to Host Book Launch for Professor's Debut Poetry Collection

Dr. Patrick Swaney's 'Hand Over Hand Over the Edge of the World' blends prose poetry and flash fiction.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 5:05am

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An extremely blurred, out-of-focus photograph in muted blues, greens, and grays, depicting a hazy, dreamlike scene of a person reading a book on a rainy day, conveying a sense of quiet contemplation.A dreamy, abstracted scene captures the quiet contemplation of a new poetry collection's debut.Salisbury Today

Catawba College's English Department will host a public reading and book launch celebration on April 16 for Dr. Patrick Swaney, an associate professor of English and writer-in-residence, to celebrate the publication of his debut poetry collection 'Hand Over Hand Over the Edge of the World' by YesYes Books.

Why it matters

The event reflects Catawba College's commitment to supporting the literary arts and providing opportunities for the campus and local community to engage with the creative work of its faculty.

The details

Swaney's collection features prose poems that blur the line between poetry and flash fiction, inviting readers into worlds that are both familiar and strange. The publisher describes the book as exploring 'the rituals of living and reveal[ing] truths hidden within the commonplace' through 'compact, direct narratives shaped by absurdity and surprise'.

  • The public reading and book launch celebration will take place on Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 7 p.m.

The players

Dr. Patrick Swaney

An associate professor of English and writer-in-residence at Catawba College, Swaney is the author of the debut poetry collection 'Hand Over Hand Over the Edge of the World'.

YesYes Books

The publisher that released Swaney's debut poetry collection in December 2025.

Catawba College

The North Carolina college hosting the public reading and book launch celebration for Swaney's debut poetry collection.

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What they’re saying

“The collection blurs the boundary between prose poetry and flash fiction. Many of the poems work as compact narratives that I hope are accessible even as they disorient, as they present a reality that is slightly strange and absurd.”

— Dr. Patrick Swaney, Associate Professor of English and Writer-in-Residence, Catawba College

“I'm thrilled that the collection ended up with YesYes Books, a press with a great reputation that has published many excellent writers. I'm really excited for the opportunity to share this book with the Catawba community.”

— Dr. Patrick Swaney, Associate Professor of English and Writer-in-Residence, Catawba College

What’s next

The public reading and book launch celebration for Dr. Patrick Swaney's debut poetry collection will take place on Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 7 p.m. in Hedrick Little Theatre on Catawba College's campus.

The takeaway

This event highlights Catawba College's support for its faculty's creative work and the institution's commitment to engaging the local community with literary arts programming.