Poetic license

Beasley (English ’02)
Photo by Jack Looney.

Until she stumbled upon a stray copy of 3.7 magazine at Newcomb Hall on a tour during her senior year of high school, Sandra Beasley (English ’02) wasn’t sure that U.Va. was the right school for her. Her desire to work for the magazine was one of the profound reasons she decided to attend the University.

“I loved the poetry and design and feel of this little 30-page publication,” Beasley said of the magazine, which provides a forum for student artwork and literature.

Since she wasn’t interested in joining a sorority or playing sports, the magazine became Beasley’s niche. “My memories of working at 3.7 are some of my fondest,” she said.

“We’re talking all-night editing sessions of eating nothing but Swedish Fish, drinking Dr Pepper and listening to Liz Phair.”

The connections Beasley gained through 3.7 magazine made a great impact upon her life after college. During Beasley’s second year at U.Va., the editor of the magazine asked her to interview Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Henry Taylor, whose poetry had enchanted Beasley since her high school years.

What was supposed to be a brief interview turned out to be a four-hour lunch during which Taylor told rich stories. “Henry and I really clicked,” Beasley said. “He always kept track of me and my work whenever he came to Charlottesville for the Virginia Festival of the Book.” When Beasley graduated from U.Va., Taylor invited her to attend American University to work with him to earn her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree.

Beasley, who currently works as an editor at The American Scholar in Washington, D.C., recently won the 2007 New Issues Poetry prize, sponsored by Western Michigan University, for her first collection of poetry titled “Theories of Falling.” The prize includes a $2,000 award, publication of her manuscript and the opportunity to give a series of readings across the country.

Beasley’s manuscript reflects a shift from looking inward, focusing on personal relationships and the moment at hand, toward a more outward approach, reflecting upon childhood memories and her life in a more philosophical way.

“When we start writing, we write in the most direct emotional vein. As you grow older, you get more of a bird’s-eye view on your own life,” said Beasley.

Beasley credits her English professors at U.Va. for helping her grow as a writer. “There were definitely some people at U.Va. who awoke my scholarly interest in poetry,” she said.

One of Beasley’s most influential professors was Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Rita Dove. Dove evaluated Beasley’s thesis, a collection of poems titled “Elegy in the Third Person.” Beasley still remembers debating the specifics of a poem with classmates in Dove’s kitchen during a workshop the professor held at her house.

Beasley forged strong relationships with her professors through the Echols Scholars program, which allowed her to sign up for advanced English courses as a first-year student.

During her very first semester at U.Va., Beasley took one of Charles Vandersee’s 400-level literature seminars, the only college class in which she ever received an A+. She received the grade for an ambitious 50-page opus called “Hemingway, Fitzgerald and the Emasculated Protagonist,” despite misspelling Ernest Hemingway’s name as “Hemmingway” on every page.

“I loved the English department because it valued enthusiasm over expertise,” Beasley said.

The Echols Scholars program also afforded Beasley the privilege of working with Stephen Cushman as her Echols academic advisor. Beasley discovered that Cushman was an incredible teacher and a poetry expert. She took one of his 500-level poetry classes, which emphasized both studying and practicing multiple forms of poetry.

“The Echols program allowed me to discover the extensive resources for poetry at U.Va.,” Beasley said.

Her teachers weren’t her only resources. Beasley was one of eight students who participated in a pilot program for what is now the undergraduate honors program for creative writing. As a member of this group, Beasley frequently received feedback on her poems from her peers and from professional poets in workshop settings.
 
“That core group of poets has gone really far, and I think it’s because we were so lucky. We got to work with poets that most MFA candidates would kill for,” Beasley said.

Read a selection of poems from Beasley's forthcoming book of poetry, “Theories of Falling.”