PW Covington's writing is raw, powerful, and carries the voice of his hard-lived curriculum vitae. His poetry and prose is undeniably of Beat lineage, and his words have the power to carry the full weight of desperate yet inspirational experience.

Incarceration, Poverty, War, Heartbreak, Homelessness, Isolation, these are the roots of Covington's work, but his voice is neither bitter nor caustic. It is, in his own way, hopeful.

LIVE in 2024



Gnashing Teeth Publishing
presents

 malepoet.


 "malepoet." is the newest collection of poetry from troubadour writer PW Covington.

  In this intimate work, Covington explores places, people, and even himself, as he ventures across the American landscape. Written in the Beat tradition, this book will be shared and read by the next generation, and the one after. Come inside the mind of PW as he celebrates the death of the straight, white, male, poet.


Praise for 'malepoet.':
"As a fellow restless soul and troubadour traveler, I love the moments here when Covington almost gives the road a good name, let’s us sit with it for a minute, and then, delicately destroys its reputation again. It’s that strange life of the hopeless wanderer he describes as “still looking for a home to leave.” It’s truck stops, “Condom machines and gasoline.” It’s honest, thoughtful, sometimes tender, often tough, this is a testament to a life “Mixed with gin and dreams / Little poetry magazines.”-Nathan Brown, Former Poet Laureate of Oklahoma, Winner of the Oklahoma Book Award

"Some read to escape truths.Others do so to embrace them. The mad call of the wild in these poems written by PW Covington serves surrealistically to fulfill both desires and more." -Tom Maxedon, Radio host and producer of "Word" a Phoenix-based literary arts podcast

Click HERE to order PW Covington's "malepoet."

KKFI 90.1 Kansas City Community Radio

Arts Magazine with Michael Hogge

PW discusses the malepoet. collection, "beat" poetry, creativity and expression, and more with Michael Hogge, host of KKFI's "Arts Magazine".

Includes readings and discussion of three poems from the new book.

INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS

LGBTQ Fiction Finalist 2019

   Congratulations to North Beach and Other Stories for earning FINALIST status in the
2019 International Book Awards! 

Texas A&M University
Corpus Christi

"Read some of his beat-heart work here on the spotlight, and order his gorgeous lyric embrace of the road, with his original photos along Historic Route 66 between The Motor Hotels of Central Avenue."

Havana, Cuba-  Covington Invited to Read

2017 Havana International Poetry Festival

In July of 2017, PW was invited to join a delegation of US poets and writers in Havana, Cuba for the 21st Festival de Poesia Internacional.

   For 8 days, writers from all over The Americas worked together to present and discuss their poetry at venues across Cuba's capital city.

    Special focus was invested on issues such as Cuba's rapidly changing social and economic landscape, climate change and its present and future effects on the Americas, and the free flow of ideas and creativity between artists of different mediums and cultures.
   Other poets invited from the USA included former US Poet Laureate Robert Hass, Jane Hirshfield, and activist Odilia Galvan-Rodriguez. Invitees forged bonds of friendship and creativity with each other and with Cuban audiences.
   Many events were sponsored and hosted by UNEAC (Union de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba).
  

 

   The writer moved to Northern New Mexico in 2017, and remains involved in a variety of progressive and social causes, including homelessness outreach and prevention and veteran's advocacy. He has worked with disaster relief teams in major disaster zones across the continent. He traveled to Standing Rock as a Water Protector and to Havana Cuba as an invited guest at the Havana International Poetry Festival. Covington remains allied with those fighting for justice and dignity for native, indigenous, and less privileged groups, including those that identify as LGBTQ+, across the nation.
    Covington also frequently donates his time and talents to benefits and other activities organized to support immigrants, human rights and social justice causes along the US/Mexico border. 

PW Covington is featured in the VA's National "Crisis Line" outreach campaign
PW Covington is featured in the VA's National "Crisis Line" outreach campaign

     PW Covington is the hope inside of all of us on our worst day.

 

  He is the quiet voice, screaming inside our soul that refuses to accept defeat, even when we must lose.

 

  He is the things we can only find after we have lost everything.