Native poet to sign books in Chatham

Claudia Emerson, Virginia’s new poet laureate and a daughter of Chatham, will sign books and give a reading from her latest collection of poetry in her hometown Friday. 

  Emerson, a Pulitzer Prize-winner and English professor, will appear from 5 to 7 p.m. at Shadetree Rare Books at 26 S. Main St. in Chatham. She will read from her latest work, “Figure Studies: Poems,” which touches upon childhood, gender themes and how girls are schooled to become women.

  Poet laureate is an honorary position that promotes greater appreciation for the writing and reading of poetry throughout the state. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine appointed Emerson to the two-year position in August.

  Shadetree owner Henry Hurt said he hopes the event will attract a crowd and praised Emerson’s talents as a poet and professor. Hurt pointed to her “two grand slam homers” – winning the Pulitzer Prize in 2006 and becoming the state’s poet laureate this year.

  “We’re just so proud of her,” he said.

Emerson won the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry for “Late Wife,” an autobiographical work dealing with the break-up of her 19-year marriage and the beginning of another with her new husband.

  She grew up in Chatham and her poetry reflects her experiences in the area.

  In addition to “Late Wife,” Emerson is the author of “Pharaoh, Pharaoh,” “Pinion, An Elegy,” and her newest collection of poetry, “Figure Studies.” Her work also has appeared in numerous literary journals.

She is an Arrington Distinguished Chair in Poetry and professor of English at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg.

Emerson began dabbling in poetry in high school and in college, but didn’t get serious about it until her late 20s. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a degree in English, Emerson managed the First Edition used bookstore in Danville and worked as a rural mail carrier.

She went on to graduate school and earned a master’s degree in poetry from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Emerson has taught at Mary Washington since 1998 and has received a slew of awards, prizes and fellowships for her poetry since the early 1990s, including a national Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in poetry. Emerson received the Virginia Commission for the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship in poetry twice, in 1995 and 2002.

She succeeded Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda as Virginia’s poet laureate.

Contact John R. Crane at or (434) 791-7987.