By Deirdre Parker Smith

deirdre.smith@salisburypost.com

William Sherrill has had more poetry published in two new books, “Today’s Great Poets” and “Famous Poets of the Heartland.”

In “Today’s Great Poets,” Sherrill’s poem is “An Advantage Enjoyed by the Christian” and it’s dedicated to his grandfathers, Jacob Pearl Ramseur and Jason Sherrill Sr. He writes, “The Christian’s armor is prayer,/Love and hospitality.”

In “Famous Poets of the Heartland: A Treasury of Beloved Family Poems,” is his poem, “The Mystery of Abstract Victory in Humility,” which begins, “It is extremely expedient to remain humble,/Even when you may happen to stumble.”

Sherrill is a former Salisbury resident who served in the U.S. Air Force.

He graduated from Shaw University just a few years ago, after a lifetime of hoping to finish college. He has also studied at business school and has taken courses in theology. He often speaks at his church and others.

He finds writing poetry relaxing and a way to express his feelings about a complicated world.

Sherrill is a light in the darkness, having overcome adversity and a major illness. He now enjoys every day as a gift and likes to celebrate that with his poetry. He also likes to share his happiness and accomplishments with with his friends. A visit from Sherrill is like a beam of sunshine.

He says he’ll keep writing poetry and sometimes calls to read a new poem.

He presence is a gift in and of itself. Write on, Mr. Sherrill.

Rose Post Prize

Honoring another great writer who overcame adversity and thrived as a journalist is the 2017 Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Competition, now open for submissions.

This contest awards $1,500 in prizes to a piece of lasting nonfiction that is outside the realm of conventional journalism and has relevance to North Carolinians. Subjects may include traditional categories such as reviews, travel articles, profiles or interviews, place/history pieces, or culture criticism.

The first-, second-, and third-place winners will receive $1,000, $300, and $200 respectively. The winning entry will be considered for publication by Ecotone.

For full guidelines, and to submit, visit www.ncwriters.org.

The final judge is Garrard Conley, author of the memoir “Boy Erased” (Riverhead, 2016), featured in Buzzfeed, Travel + Leisure, the LA Times, and many other publications as a must-read book.

The 2017 Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Competition is administered by the University of North Carolina at Wilmington Department of Creative Writing. The deadline for submissions is Jan. 15, 2017 (postmark).