Noteworthy: Emanuel won a Civatella Ranieri Writing Fellowship for a residency at an international retreat in a 15th-century castle in Umbria, Italy. She will spend six weeks in spring 2014 with other established or emerging artists.
Age: 63
Residence: Squirrel Hill
Occupation: Poet and English professor at the University of Pittsburgh
Education: Bachelor's degree in English from Bennington College in Vermont; master's in English studies from City College of New York; master's in creative writing from the University of Iowa
Background: Emanuel has taught at Pitt for 30 years. She has written four books of poetry and won two fellowships from the National Endowments for the Arts. Her latest book, “Noose and Hook,” is about trying moments in America such as war and people losing their livelihoods.
Quote: “Writing poetry in many ways is an archaic art form, and I take that on in my book. I sort of ask readers why they're reading the book and why they're interested, and I make fun of some of the expectations readers have about poetry — that it will always tell them a story, and all books of poetry are about the author itself.”
