Penn State Altoona professors’ book longlisted for Writers Conference honor

ALTOONA, Pa. - A book edited by Todd Davis, Noah Davis and Carolyn Mahan has been longlisted for the 2026 Writers Conference of Northern Appalachia Book of the Year. Todd Davis and Mahon are both faculty members at Penn State Altoona.

"A Literary Field Guide to Northern Appalachia" is one of eight books named to the longlist, which honors exceptional books that deepen and celebrate the spirit and essence of northern Appalachia and its literature.

The project grew out of collaborations between Todd Davis, professor of English and environmental studies, and Mahan, professor of biology and environmental studies, focused on demonstrating how interdisciplinary perspectives broaden understanding of and relationship to the natural world.

As a hybrid literary and natural history anthology, the book consists of descriptions and notes on habitat, range and ecology provided by six scientists with expertise in the region's flora and fauna. In addition, 11 artists and 70 poets provided original works that illuminate the lives of this world.