Seeing Things
This Is Not About Us

Keystone Poetry

From Philadelphia to Erie, and from the shale fields to the coal mines, Keystone Poetry celebrates the varied landscapes and voices of Pennsylvania. This collection brings together the work of 182 poets who, with keen eyes and powerful language, commemorate the hometowns, history, traditions, and culture of the Commonwealth.

Organized geographically, the poems traverse county lines, ancestral lineages, and thematic concerns–as well as gender, racial, and socioeconomic barriers. The poems in this collection seek to bring the reader close to home while fostering the discovery of new places and a deeper understanding of all those who live in the Keystone State.

Keystone Poetry also includes resources for teachers. Drawing from this collection of place-based literature, high school and college educators can use students’ hometown experiences to make disciplines such as literature, composition, creative writing, history, geography, sociology, political science, and psychology more engaging and accessible.

– To delve more deeply into class discussion, see “Let’s Talk About It,” a helpful aid for individual or group reflection.

– To fuel creativity, access “Let’s Write About It,” a practical guide to inspire writers of all levels.

More Adult Books

  • In Good Dirt, the daughter of an affluent Black family confronts the lingering effects of a childhood tragedy in which her brother was shot, shattering their lives and a cherished heirloom. As Ebby Freeman navigates her high-profile romance and the ensuing media frenzy, she flees to France, only to discover that the past - and the stoneware jar that symbolizes it - holds the key to her future.
  • Growing Up Biden details Valerie’s decades-long professional career in politics, and the central role she played in her brother’s life as an insightful adviser, an ever-loyal advocate and best friend.