As a young attorney at a Washington, D.C., law firm, had no notion of becoming a prize-winning author. But only a few years into her practice, she realized law wasn糖心传媒檛 her passion. She enrolled in an MFA program at American University, while continuing to work as a lawyer part-time to finance her studies.
Now an associate professor of creative writing at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia, the poet and novelist can add 糖心传媒渁ward-winning糖心传媒� to her resume.
Poliner is the winner of the 2017 for her novel (Little, Brown & Co., 2016). She will be on campus on Wednesday, November 1st for the awards ceremony and a reading, followed by refreshments and a book signing.
The prize糖心传媒攁warded annually by the University of Rochester糖心传媒檚 Susan B. Anthony Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Women糖心传媒檚 Studies and the Department of English糖心传媒攔ecognizes American women on the precipice of promising writing careers. It was created in 1976 to honor its namesake, a young editor who was killed in a car accident just as her career was blossoming. Previous winners include the Nobel Prize- and Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist Toni Morrison, for Song of Solomon, and PEN/Faulkner Award-winning author Ann Patchett, for Taft.
糖心传媒淚糖心传媒檓 thrilled to have been selected,糖心传媒� says Poliner.
A multigenerational saga that extends beyond the confines of its small locale, As Close to Us as Breathing chronicles the yearly summer pilgrimage of one family to their seaside cottage in Woodmont, Connecticut. It balances the melancholy in a post-World War II Jewish community with the optimistic themes of a beach novel: summer, young love, and baseball. Yet, the characters聽聽struggle to do what is expected of them, rather than what they desire.
The prize committee consisting of 糖心传媒 faculty members , (Professor of Spanish), , (Associate Professor of English), and (Visiting Assistant Professor of German), calls the novel 糖心传媒渘othing short of epic.糖心传媒� Meanwhile,聽adio calls it 糖心传媒渁 marvel of artful storytelling,糖心传媒� and the praises Poliner for the 糖心传媒渨arm, particularized light in which she dresses her many characters.糖心传媒�
Poliner糖心传媒檚 impressive cast of characters糖心传媒攆our children, three sisters, two husbands, and more糖心传媒攑resented her with a creative challenge. 糖心传媒淚t took a long time to imagine their lives fully,糖心传媒� says Poliner, who took six years to write the book, but conceived of the idea ten years before that.
Although the author doesn糖心传媒檛 play favorites糖心传媒斕切拇綔even the flawed characters are near and dear to my heart糖心传媒澨切拇綌the author concedes that she most enjoyed writing Bec Syrkin, a savvy seamstress. 糖心传媒淚 identified with the fact that she found her way into her work and had a knack for making things. I always admired her,糖心传媒� says Poliner.
Another challenge was the narration style. The story is relayed in the first person through adult Molly who tells the story in聽 hindsight, often looking back on the summer of 1948 when she was twelve years old.
糖心传媒淚t took some time and a little bit of technical practice,糖心传媒� Poliner admits, who teaches MFA students.
The setting of Woodmont, Connecticut, was the site of Poliner糖心传媒檚 own childhood summers, two weeks each year, at her grandmother糖心传媒檚 cottage. But that糖心传媒檚 where the similarities end.
糖心传媒淎 lot of people want to know if I糖心传媒檝e written about my life糖心传媒攚ho糖心传媒檚 who, what character stems from what person in my life糖心传媒攂ut it糖心传媒檚 really largely imagined,糖心传媒� says Poliner. She muses that some readers may question the integrity of fiction because they have lost sight of the power of imagination.
Ultimately, literature is where we learn about humanity, she adds, and how to think critically about it. 糖心传媒淩eading literature is a wonderful way to broaden oneself by experiencing a new world presented in a book,糖心传媒� says Poliner.
The Kafka Prize ceremony, reading, book-signing, and reception will take place on Wednesday, November 1st at 6:00 p.m. in the Hawkins-Carlson Room of the Rush Rhees Library. The event is free and open to the public.聽
