McKinney’s decision to come to MSU largely was because of her relationship with Anita Skeen, director of the poetry center and a native West Virginian, McKinney said.

“(Skeen has) been bringing a class of hers to go on a hike and get in touch with West Virginia, and she started bringing her classes over here to talk to me,” McKinney said. “I’d read poems to them and talk about the countryside and the environment.”

Through these encounters, Skeen began to see the benefit of inviting McKinney to MSU. Although most of her poetry is set in a different region of the country, Skeenbelieves there is a lot MSU students can take away from it.

“(McKinney’s poetry) is very rich in language and experience but also the kind of experience that I think everyone can relate to,” Skeen said. “I think she’s writing about the human condition and thus gives us a lot of insight into our own lives even though she may be writing from a different state and about different specific things.”

McKinney’s life experiences hardly have followed the beaten path.

She began writing poetry when she was about 10 years old, but after getting married at 16 and having children at a young age, her writing was put on hold.

It wasn’t until the age of 24 that McKinney decided to go back to school and for the first time study the art she had enjoyed as a child.

It’s these experiences, along with the nature that surrounds the Appalachian region, that shapes her poetry, she said.

“I grew up in the countryside so I’ve always been very attached to the natural world,” McKinney said. “(My poetry) is also about trying to find one’s self. We’re shaped by the landscape we grow up in. We aren’t dictated by it, but it certainly shapes our world and how we view the world.”

Hospitality business junior Megan Cooley said the opportunity for aspiring poets to meet with someone who has experienced success in their desired field can make a special impact.

“That’s like being a hero or an idol to somebody,” Cooley said. “As long as (students) can watch other people come in professionally and do it, they can believe that they can do it as well.”

Skeen hopes McKinney’s unique writing talents will make a significant impact on students.

“I would hope that meeting her would make some students want to go out and write poems,” she said. “The world can never have too many poems.”