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鈥檛 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 鈥渁ward-winning鈥� 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鈥攁warded annually by the 人妻少妇专区鈥檚 Susan B. Anthony Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Women鈥檚 Studies and the Department of English鈥攔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.
鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled to have been selected,鈥� 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 人妻少妇专区 faculty members , (Professor of Spanish), , (Associate Professor of English), and (Visiting Assistant Professor of German), calls the novel 鈥渘othing short of epic.鈥� Meanwhile,聽adio calls it 鈥渁 marvel of artful storytelling,鈥� and the praises Poliner for the 鈥渨arm, particularized light in which she dresses her many characters.鈥�
Poliner鈥檚 impressive cast of characters鈥攆our children, three sisters, two husbands, and more鈥攑resented her with a creative challenge. 鈥淚t took a long time to imagine their lives fully,鈥� says Poliner, who took six years to write the book, but conceived of the idea ten years before that.
Although the author doesn鈥檛 play favorites鈥斺�渆ven the flawed characters are near and dear to my heart鈥濃�攖he author concedes that she most enjoyed writing Bec Syrkin, a savvy seamstress. 鈥淚 identified with the fact that she found her way into her work and had a knack for making things. I always admired her,鈥� 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.
鈥淚t took some time and a little bit of technical practice,鈥� Poliner admits, who teaches MFA students.
The setting of Woodmont, Connecticut, was the site of Poliner鈥檚 own childhood summers, two weeks each year, at her grandmother鈥檚 cottage. But that鈥檚 where the similarities end.
鈥淎 lot of people want to know if I鈥檝e written about my life鈥攚ho鈥檚 who, what character stems from what person in my life鈥攂ut it鈥檚 really largely imagined,鈥� 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. 鈥淩eading literature is a wonderful way to broaden oneself by experiencing a new world presented in a book,鈥� 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
