Wandering in the Woods

The poetry included in Wandering in the Woods captures images of woodland ecosystems and the great cycles of nature. It is full of exuberant life that springs from quiet reflection and attention to artful wordsmithery. An admirer of fellow Kentuckian Wendell Berry, his poetry portrays the beauty and wonder of nature and embraces the importance of sustainable living through its depiction of rural scenes.

Biographical Sketch for Philip M. Mathis (BID 118108)
(Ph: 615.893.3937; Email: pmathis@mtsu.edu)

Before retiring in 2008, Philip M. Mathis enjoyed a four-decades-long teaching career at Middle Tennessee State University including four years as dean of the University's Honors College. His accomplishments include publication of dozens of research articles, several biology-related books, and receipt of local, regional, and national awards for teaching, service, and scholarship.

A biologist by training and experience, his poems appear in several anthologies and in periodicals such as The Inkslinger and The Journal of Kentucky Studies. One poem, Two Bits of Botanic Art, won the 1996 Silver Quill Award from the Poets' Roundtable of Arkansas. He edited and contributed to Time and Tradition (Twin Oaks Press, 2011), a volume featuring the poetry of students and colleagues of the Honors College.

The poetry included in Wandering in the Woods captures images of woodland ecosystems and the great cycles of nature. It is full of exuberant life that springs from quiet reflection and attention to artful wordsmithery. An admirer of fellow Kentuckian Wendell Berry, his poetry portrays the beauty and wonder of nature and embraces the importance of sustainable living through its depiction of rural scenes.