Judith Moffett

Rather than rehash a lot of facts, I'll direct anybody who's interested in them to my Wiki site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Moffett. The entry is short on biography and overlong on lists, but it gives some idea of where I've been and what I've been doing. The compiler was not interested in my academic career, but, among other teaching jobs, I was at the Iowa Writers' Workshop for a year (poetry), then at Penn for 15 years (English and creative writing). Since my husband's death I've lived mostly on my hundred-acre ex-farm in Lawrenceburg KY. At present I'm writing a memoir of my 28-year friendship with the poet James Merrill, about whom I published a critical study way back when.

My two most significant influences at WHHS were being in the choir and having Jake Skilken for chemistry. I've sung in choirs whenever possible ever since, with great pleasure. I wasn't any good at chemistry, but Jake made a profound personal impression on me. (John Levy put me back in touch with Jake in 1985, after John and I spoke of him together at the 25th reunion, and we corresponded regularly thereafter until his death.) I also have very good memories of third-year Spanish, featuring interesting conversations round the table with Roger Dworkin and Tom Coates.

6/1/2014 - I nominate Jake Skilken as teacher extraordinaire. And I was terrible at chemistry! But I wound up with a B for the year, thanks to borrowing a copy of the text the other teacher was using (much simpler) and cramming like fury right before the final.