With her upcoming book, “Reckoning with the Past: The Historical Poetry of Frank X Walker,” Dr. Kristine Yohe is taking another step in her career to educate everyone she can on the importance of Black literature. It will be the first book to examine the work of Walker, who describes himself as an “Affrilachian” poet, blending African-American and Appalachian experiences.
“I’m honored to be the first, but my goal is not to be the last. I’m really hopeful that I can promote Frank X Walker’s writing and the work of the Appalachian poets more broadly so that other people will read it, write about it, teach it and there will be multiple books,” Yohe, an English professor, said.
Yohe came up with the phrase “Reckoning with the past” because it means to “figure something out or to struggle with it.” Her book focuses on five historical works of poetry by Walker that explore the lives of Medgar Evans, Issac Murphy and York, an enslaved man who traveled with Lewis and Clark.
Yohe has been teaching at NKU for over 25 years. Her lessons are built around telling the truth about the past, particularly the struggles of those covered in Black American literature.
Former student Katrina Rolfsen said, “By foregrounding Black, often rural, literature, she teaches her students that great art resides not only in the fabled ivory tower but in Kentucky hills, Louisiana swamplands and rivers haunted by ancestral spirits.”
Yohe said Walker focused on uncovering events and people muted by racism.
“The five books of historical poetry…are specifically focused on famous people or people who used to be famous, but then were hidden by history,” she said.
Yohe researched both Walker and the men in his stories. To Yohe, it was very hard work but extremely rewarding. She learned about York through Walker’s work, saying he was extremely crucial to Lewis and Clark’s expedition, but all of his achievements are hard to find and not talked about enough.
“I didn’t know about York because I did know about Sacagawea…but the thing is, these people have been overlooked and hidden, silenced, muted,” Yohe said.
As she talks about York and how he started his expedition with Lewis and Clark, she points to Louisville, Kentucky, on the U.S. map she has hanging in her office. She said York was revered for his “blackness” by the natives as well as his contribution to the exploration of the Louisiana Purchase.
“The theme was all anti-racism. It’s the theme of my teaching. It’s the theme of my scholarship. It’s the theme of my life,” Yohe said. “I figure I use my privilege to help them get power.”
She said the current backlash scholars are getting for spreading this kind of history only makes her more committed to and passionate about fostering change.
“Dr. Yohe has been a major force in introducing our students and faculty to Affrilachian Literature,” English Professor Robert Wallace said. “Her courses have contributed to the growing diversity of students in our English department, along with the diversity of our curriculum. Her heartfelt devotion to her subject and her students are unmatched.”
To Yohe, diversity is the most important thing that she can teach others.
“[It] is empowering and it is enriching, and…the more we learn about people who are different than we are, the better off we are,” she said.
A joyous expression comes over her face when talking about how she’s able to reach her students; when they walk away from her class, recognizing how valuable it is.
Rolfsen said, “She’s introduced me to incredible Black and Affrilachian authors, including Jesmyn Ward, Crystal Wilkinson and Nikky Finney, whose works I may not have read otherwise.”
Yohe acknowledged that some people might feel guilty about the truth of the past or feel as if the literature isn’t for them. But she encourages everyone to be curious. She believes history will more likely be repeated if people are unaware of it.
“I do really believe we can make the world better, and if we all tried to make the world better…then the world would be better,” she said.
Yohe’s new book comes out on Jan. 27, 2026. She is doing a book launch at the Mercantile Library. Walker will also be there to answer questions.