Gail Mazur

Poet-in-Residence

An influential presence in the Boston and Cambridge literary scene, Gail Mazur brings a wealth of experience and talent to the Emerson classroom. The author of five books of poems, including They Can't Take That Away From Me, a finalist for the 2001 National Book Award, and the forthcoming collection, Zeppo's First Wife: New and Selected Poems, Gail also writes essays and book reviews, work that has appeared in such publications as Poetry, Ploughshares, and the Boston Globe, among others.

In recognition of her work, Gail has received the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, the Bunting Institute Fellowship at Radcliffe, and the St. Botolph Club Foundation Distinguished Artist Award.

Along with being Emerson's poet-in-residence for the last nine years, Gail is a member of the executive board of PEN New England, and is on the editorial boards of Ploughshares, the Agni Review, and the Boston Review. In 1973, she founded the nationally recognized Blacksmith House Poetry Reading Series.

“Readings are a great way for people who are eager to make a career out of writing to connect with fellow writers and discover what others are doing.”

Gail is encouraged by the quality of students the Emerson writing program attracts.

“It's both reassuring and exciting for young writers to be in a room with twelve people who are committed to the process of writing. For those few hours, the demands and challenges of writing poems are all that matter.”