Claudia Emerson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Claudia Emerson
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| Born | January 13, 1957 Chatham, Virginia, U.S.
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| Died | December 4, 2014 (aged 57) Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Virginia University of North Carolina at Greensboro |
| Occupation | Poet, professor |
| Spouse(s) |
Kent Ippolito
(m. 2000) |
| Awards | Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (2006) Poet Laureate of Virginia (2008–10) Guggenheim Fellowship (2011) |
Claudia Emerson (born January 13, 1957 – died December 4, 2014) was an American poet. She was known for her amazing poetry. In 2006, she won the famous Pulitzer Prize for her book of poems called Late Wife. Later, in 2008, the Governor of Virginia, Tim Kaine, named her the Poet Laureate of Virginia. This means she was the official poet for the state.
Contents
Growing Up and School
Claudia Emerson was born in a town called Chatham, Virginia, on January 13, 1957. She went to a special school there called Chatham Hall and finished in 1975.
After high school, she went to the University of Virginia. She earned her degree in English in 1979. Later, she studied creative writing at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She got her Master of Fine Arts degree there in 1991.
Her Work as a Poet
Claudia Emerson wrote many books of poetry. She published eight collections through a special series called Southern Messenger Poets. Some of her books include Pharaoh, Pharaoh (1997), Pinion: An Elegy (2002), and Late Wife (2005).
Even after she passed away, three more of her poetry collections were published. These were The Opposite House (2015), Impossible Bottle (2015), and Claude before Time and Space (2018).
Her poems also appeared in many other books called anthologies. These books collect poems from different writers. Some of these include Yellow Shoe Poets and Common Wealth: Contemporary Poets of Virginia.
Claudia Emerson also helped other writers. She was an editor for a poetry magazine called Greensboro Review. She also worked as an editor for another literary magazine called Shenandoah.
In 2008, she was chosen to be the Poet Laureate of Virginia. This was a big honor! She served in this role until 2010. She also returned to her old school, Chatham Hall, as a special poet-in-residence.
Teaching and Later Life
Claudia Emerson loved to teach. She taught at several colleges, including Washington and Lee University and Randolph-Macon College. For over ten years, she was an English professor at the University of Mary Washington. She held a special position there as the Arrington Distinguished Chair in Poetry.
In 2013, she joined the creative writing team at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. She taught there until she passed away in 2014. She was 57 years old.
Personal Life
In 2000, Claudia Emerson married a musician named Kent Ippolito. They lived in Richmond, Virginia. They even wrote and performed songs together! Claudia Emerson passed away on December 4, 2014, in Richmond.
Awards and Honors
Claudia Emerson received many awards for her poetry and writing. Here are some of them:
- The Association of Writers and Writing Programs Intro Award, 1991
- Academy of American Poets Prize, 1991
- National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, 1994
- Virginia Commission for the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship, 1995 and 2002
- University of Mary Washington Alumni Association Outstanding Young Faculty Award, 2003
- Erskine J. Poetry Prize, 2004
- Witter Bynner Fellowship from Library of Congress, 2005
- Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, 2006
- Poet Laureate of Virginia, 2008–2010
- Library of Virginia, Virginia Women in History, 2009
- Fellowship of Southern Writers, Donald Justice Award for Poetry, 2009
- Guggenheim Fellowship, 2011
- Elected to Membership, Fellowship of Southern Writers, 2011
