A Shy Student

Dear Mary,

Once you visited Carlow College in Pittsburgh to work with a group of high school students on their poetry. My English teacher thought much of my poems--more than I did--so she signed me up. You read your poems, talked about poetry and writing and the artistic life, and had us write, read aloud, and critique each other's work. It was the first time I came face-to face not only with a living, breathing artist but also with the discipline and inner, truthful beauty that an artist must cultivate. And it was fun too, another part of being an artist! I ended up going to Rhode Island School of Design for fine art, was a teacher who taught writing and art, and now write myself (taking a break now to thank you). And thank you I do, from the bottom of my heart, for being the example a shy student needed to take the courageous step into art and writing. May reading all these thank-yous give you courage too.

Best,

Elizabeth Smith