Thomas Mitchell Poland (born February 4, 1949) is an American writer. He graduated from Lincoln High School in Lincolnton, Georgia. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and a master's degree in education from the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

. A frequent contributor to magazines, he has written approximately 1,200 features. His novel, ''Forbidden Island ... An Island Called Sapelo'' (), deals with themes of hope and destruction: man's alteration of the Earth and man's efforts to stave off the inevitable loss of family. He was the 2011–2012 playwright for '' Swamp Gravy'', Georgia's official folk life drama. His play, ''Solid Ground'', presents the hardships, joys, and beauty of the farming life in south Georgia. ''Save The Last Dance For Me'', a book on how the blues led to beach music and the shag phenomenon along the Carolina beaches, was published by the University of South Carolina Press in the summer of 2012. He contributed to ''State of the Heart'', an anthology of writers who contributed essays about their favorite places in South Carolina, foreword by

Pat Conroy Donald Patrick Conroy (October 26, 1945 – March 4, 2016) was an American author who wrote several acclaimed novels and memoirs; his books '' The Water is Wide'', ''The Lords of Discipline'', ''The Prince of Tides'' and ''The Great Santini'' we ...

, edited by Aida Rogers and published by the University of South Carolina Press. ''Reflections of South Carolina, Vol. II'' was published by the University of South Carolina Press in 2014, with foreword by

Mary Alice Monroe Mary Alice Monroe is a best-selling author known for fiction that explore the compelling parallels between nature and human nature. Many of her novels deal with environmental issues. For example, ''The Beach House'' and ''Swimming Lessons'' refer ...

. The History Press of Charleston published ''Classic Carolina Road Trips'' in 2014, and ''South Carolina Country Roads'' in April 2018. ''Georgialina, A'' ''Southland As We Knew It'' was published in November 2015 by the University of South Carolina Press. Arcadia Publishing published “The Last Sunday Drive” in November 2019. ''Carolina Bays: Wild, Mysterious, and Majestic Landforms'' was published by the University of South Carolina Press in 2020 He lives in

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...

where he shared his writing approach for 19 years as an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina's College of Mass Information and Library Studies. As a member of the South Carolina Humanities Speakers Bureau, he is often invited to give presentations on the state’s culture and history. In 2018, Governor Henry McMaster awarded Poland the Order of the Palmetto for his significant contributions in heralding the unique heritage of South Carolina.

References

External links

Tom Poland's Website
*''WIS-TV,'
"Talk of the Town: A Place Called Obscurity"
June 14, 2018 *''South Carolina Public Radio,'
"USC Press Showcases a Variety of Authors, Subjects"
December 25, 2017 *''Thomasville Times Enterprise,'

October 3, 2017 *''South Carolina Public Radio,'
"USC Press Showcases a Variety of Authors, Subjects"
February 21, 2017 *''Albany Herald,'

May 1, 2016 *''Free Times,'
"Finding New Stories in Familiar Places"
January 6, 2016 *''The Augusta Chronicle,'
"By the Book: New book recalls Southern days gone by"
December 26, 2015 *''Free Times,'
"Columbia, Then and Now"
September 23, 2015 *''Kirkus Reviews,'
"A Southland as We Knew It"
September 3, 2015 *''Rotary Club of Lake Murray-Irmo,'
"The Rotary Club of Lake Murray hosted author Tom Poland"
July 29, 2015 *''WIS-10,'

2014 *''Columbia Metropolitan,'
"Art for the Coffee Table: Reflections of South Carolina"
2014 *''Aiken Standard,'
"‘Reflections of South Carolina:’ Book captures Palmetto state through photographs, text"
November 8, 2014 *''Hub City Writers Project,'
"New Books by Tom Poland"
September 18, 2014 *''Free Times,'
"Writer, Photographer Reflect on SC"
June 11, 2014 *''Aiken Standard,'
"S.C. writers provide their 'State of the Heart'"
September 28, 2013 *''New Georgia Encyclopedia,'
"Swamp Gravy"
August 6, 2013 *''The Augusta Chronicle,'
"Ramblin’ Rhodes: Shag has strong footing in Augusta"
July 2, 2013 *''Aiken Standard,'
"Book festival to feature local authors, book appraisal"
May 16, 2013 *''Miller County Liberal,'

February 27, 2013 *''Aiken Standard,'
"‘Save the Last Dance for Me’ traces evolution of beach music, shag dance"
September 8, 2012 *''Miller County Liberal,'

March 7, 2012 *''What Jasper Said: The Word on Columbia Arts,'
"Tom Poland reflects on his play, Solid Ground"
October 23, 2011 {{DEFAULTSORT:Poland, Tom 1949 births Living people University of Georgia alumni People from Lincolnton, Georgia Writers from Georgia (U.S. state) Writers from Columbia, South Carolina American male journalists