Long Field Hollow
Long Field Publications, 2023
Marilyn’s chapbook of poetry, Long Field Hollow, is the story of Marilyn’s retirement and relocation to a remote cove in the western mountains of North Carolina. These 23 poems offer a glimpse into Marilyn’s environment and daily life.
Selected Reading
“Many years ago, in the late afternoon light of fall, I found myself capturing a moment of solace on the roof of Long Field Hollow Cottage. A carpenter friend of mine and I were putting the finishing touches on the completed roof. I recall looking down the valley and noticing the angle and clarity of light. The depth of blue in the sky. The play of cumulus clouds overhead. I thought on the death of my father, a couple of seasons back, noticing that small bit of infinite space. That moment of emptiness. Turning my gaze to the southwest, I noticed thousands of ladybugs parachuting towards me on wing, wind and light. Through perhaps all great writing, we, as readers, are given permission to experience, remember, and conjure the stories of our own lives. Marilyn’s writing does just that. The depth of her honesty, awareness, love, and humor is truly a gift for all of us who value a strong sense of place and being.”
— Tom Dancer, Penland, North Carolina
“I have known Marilyn for over half a century. As her health deteriorated, she escaped the city and made the big move to the mountains. Marilyn’s collection offers a capsule of the beauty, joy, magnificence and silence that living in a remote mountain oasis affords her, and the hardships she overcame to build an environment that fosters wellness, security, and peace.”
— John King, Black Mountain, North Carolina
“Marilyn McVicker’s Long Field Hollow explores the vast panorama that comes along with her intentional move to the mountains from an urban setting…McVicker invites us to the banquet of life in the Hollow, where she becomes more familiar with plants and animals, as she wrestles with the isolation of the mountain. Her honest words challenge us to feel our souls shudder.”
— Ann Maren-Hogan, author, Celo, North Carolina