Contributed photo | Shelby Stephenson has authored several poetry collections and has recorded albums of country and gospel covers with his wife, Linda. He is a North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame inductee and winner of the 2008 Bellday Poetry Prize.

WILMINGTON — A new play penned by Shelby Stephenson, the state’s poet laureate, will premiere Wednesday at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington.

Set on the Johnson County farm where Stephenson grew up, “Maytle’s World” is being billed as a “poetic memoir about North Carolina’s agricultural heritage and the role of country music in family life.”

Stephenson gained national exposure after being appointed poet laureate by Gov. Pat McCrory in January, but the 76-year-old has been a fixture in Robeson County for decades.

He taught creative writing and literature for 32 years at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke before retiring in 2010. Stephenson also ran the college’s annual literary journal, Pembroke Magazine.

The poet was raised on “Paul’s Hill,” a 62-acre farm named after his father. He was working toward his Ph.D in English at the University of Wisconsin at Madison when his first poem was published in 1972.

Stephenson has since authored several poetry collections and has recorded albums of country and gospel covers with his wife, Linda. He is a North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame inductee and winner of the 2008 Bellday Poetry Prize

“I am a farm boy and I found a home at UNC-Pembroke,” Stephenson told The Robesonian in April. “I carry it with me wherever I go, and many of my students connect with me through social media. I like that we communicate; I really enjoy that part of living.”

“Maytle’s World” is directed by Steve Coley and presented by Big Dawg Productions. Performances are scheduled at 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday; 3 p.m. on July 12; and 7 p.m. on July 15.

Tickets are $12 and can be purchased in advance by visiting cameronartmuseum.org, or by calling 910-395-5999. Discounts are available for members of the museum and students with ID.

Shows will take place inside the museum’s Weyerhaeuser Reception Hall.

The Cameron Art Museum is located at 3201 S. 17th St. in Wilmington.