Byron Herbert Reece

Byron Herbert Reece (1917–1958) was an American poet and novelist from rural Union County, Georgia, whose lyrical works drew deeply from Appalachian mountain life, nature, religion, and family themes. He published four volumes of poetry—including the Pulitzer-nominated *Bow Down in Jericho* (1950)—and two novels, *Better a Dinner of Herbs* (1950) and *The Hawk and the Sun* (1955), earning Guggenheim Fellowships and writer-in-residence positions at UCLA, Emory, and Young Harris College. Struggling with tuberculosis contracted from his parents and financial hardships, he died by suicide at age 40.[1][2][3]