I was born and raised in the south-central West Virginia. I graduated from Nuttall High School, Lookout, WV in 1959 and went off to Berea College, Berea, Kentucky. After my freshman year, I enlisted in the United States Air Force, where I served for four years in the beautiful state of Hawaii. While there, I attended Jackson College and the University of Hawaii.
Upon my return home to West Virginia, I married and had two exceptional children, Emily and Adam Hankins. Unfortunately, that marriage ended in divorce after about seven years. During those same years, I graduated from the University of Charleston, Charleston, WV, receiving my baccalaureate degree in history.
About this time, I published my first chapbook of poetry, The Lady in the Pink Hat. It was published by Candor Press in 1969.
Between 1968 and 1981, my poems appeared in Christian Century, Writer, The Poet, Cameo, Grit, Quintessence, Author/Poet, Tangent, The American Poet, Prairie Poets, The Baptist Leader, and Parnassus. My poems appeared in the following anthologies: Major Poets Anthology #6, Prairie Press Books, The Soul and the Singer Anthology, Young Publications, Field of Daisies, Nina Brewer Henry, Editor, Prairie Press Books, and Yearbook of Modern Poetry, 1981, Young Publications,
Articles and short stories appeared in Hoosier Challenger, Housewife/Writer's Forum, Capper's Weekly, Vegetarian Times, Writer's Digest, Equipping Youth, The West Virginia Hillbilly, The Mountain Laurel, Christian Education Today, Leadership, Christian Leadership, The Final Draft, Writer's World, A Better Life For You, Lifeglow, The Messenger, Collector's News and the Antique Reporter, Writer's Gazette Newsletter, Animal Press, The Central Virginian, Pocket Inspirations, The Preacher's Magazine, Chips Off the Writer's Block, Huckleberry, West Virginia--Then and Now, AIM Magazine, Appalachian Heritage, Fiction Forum, and i:The First Person.
(More recently) I obtained my master's and doctoral degees in Theology at Trinity Theological Seminary. I served churches in West Virginia, Ohio, and Virginia before retiring in 1997. A compulsive writer, my poetry, articles, short stories, and theological writings have appeared in numerous national journals and periodicals, mentioned previously, and including Biblical Illustrator and the renowned Pulpit Digest. In 1992-1993 I was selected for Who's Who in Religion. I was also elected to the international poetry society, Y Escambi Internationale. One of my poems was read into the Congressional Journal of the United States. I am also a member of Pi Gamma Mu, an honorary sociological fraternity.
(Even More Recently) I published a book of Appalachian short stories, Ashes on the Snow, and, A Sensible Theology for Thinking People (A retired Southern Baptist minister talks candidly about the Bible, Theology and Contemporary Concerns). For about eight years I wrote a weekly column for the Huntington, WV Herald-Dispatch.
In the past couple of years, some of my poems have appeared in PS: It's Poetry, Arczis Technologies, Inc., Nursery Rhymes & Stories, Eve Roper, Compiler, Kindle Direct Publishing, and PS: It's Still Poetry, Volume II, Arczis Technologies, Inc.
My "A Sensible Look at Genesis" and my autobiograph "A Pedestal in the Closet" remain unpublished. I have edited three doctoral theses and continue to edit poetry chapbooks and short stories for family and friends.
I have been interviewed on both radio and television. For two years (2016-2017) I published and edited my own website, "A Columnist With a View."
My wife Deborah and I moved to Catlettsburg, Kentucky to operate The Presidents' House Bed and Breakfast, where we remained until we retired a second time and moved to Ashland, Kentucky. My wife Deborah of 35 years died November 22, 2018. In the years since her death, I have been very active on the Poetry Soup and All Poetry websites.
I continue my work as a freelance writer and editor. I am available for editing projects by contacting me at: amsmilt@windstream.net