Eric McHenry

Eric McHenry is a poet and critic whose work has appeared in The Yale Review, The New Republic, The New York Times Book Review, and The Threepenny Review. He teaches creative writing at Washburn University and is a former poet laureate of Kansas.

Queen of the Castle 

Looking for Mama Lou, the legendary singer whose work helped inspire American ragtime

by Eric McHenry | Tuesday, September 05, 2023

The Bully in the Ballad

Was Mississippi John Hurt really the first person to sing the tragic tale of Louis Collins?

by Eric McHenry | Thursday, December 15, 2022

The Annotated “Stacka Lee”

Comments on the famous murder ballad’s oldest known lyrics

by Eric McHenry | Saturday, March 13, 2021

The Baddest Man in Town

On the trail of a historical figure immortalized in African-American folklore

by Eric McHenry | Saturday, March 13, 2021