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MyLine:Cover Story

A profile and interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning local poet Claudia Emerson

Date published: 6/27/2006

By JORDAN McDANIEL

YOUTH CORRESPONDENT

EW WILL EVER KNOW what it's like to go from small-town college professor one day to Pulitzer Prize-winning poet the next.

But such is reality for Claudia Emerson, who won what many consider to be poetry's top honor earlier this year--somewhat unexpectedly, at least for her.

"I was thrilled and absolutely surprised," said Emerson in a recent interview with MyLine.

Emerson began her writing career while in high school, as editor of the Chatham Hall newspaper. She graduated from the University of Virginia in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in English. In 1991, she received her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.

English always came easy for Emerson. Never one to accept the easy way out, she said she pondered the idea of choosing a different, more challenging major in her college years. However, her love for language and literature was too strong.

Even so, Emerson's poetic muse took a long time coming.

"I wrote off and on for years, but only became serious about it in my late 20s," she said.

But once she started writing, the path was all too clear, she added. "I enjoy fiction very much, but I am compelled to compose poetry. The exploration of metaphor is important to me and poetry is the best genre, in my opinion, for such contemplation."

Emerson said she loves the natural world. Animals, landscapes, and even weather are often the subjects of her poetry.

"The inspirations for my work are always changing. Early work was influenced greatly by the landscape and the people of Southside Virginia."

Following the 1997 publication of Emerson's first book, "Pharaoh, Pharaoh," about Southside Virginia and rural life, Mary Washington recruited her as a professor.

Before moving to Fredericksburg in 1998 to teach creative writing at the University of Mary Washington, Emerson also worked at both Washington and Lee University and Randolph-Macon College.

The best part about teaching is having students realize their potential, she said.

"If a student will meet me halfway, she will become a better writer; seeing a student discover talent is the most rewarding aspect of teaching."

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Date published: 6/27/2006