Claudia Emerson Reading Loop | Snapshots

Snapshots

Claudia, heron, goose, and goslings. I took this photo in April 2014 at the James River, just upstream from our house.

Photo by Kent Ippolito

Claudia and me performing at LibertyTown Arts Workshop, Fredericksburg, Virginia, 2005 or 2006, for one of Stuart Whitford’s Acoustic Roots concerts.

Claudia is playing “her” beloved 1952 Gibson L-4. This was the second vintage archtop guitar she had swiped from my collection, and it came to be her favorite. I still have both of these guitars, even after “churning” many dozens of others in the years since. Claudia’s hangs on the wall in front of me as I write this.

I don’t recall for sure who took this photo, but believe it was John Sovitsky.

An unknown younger child and Claudia’s mother, Mollie.

Claudia’s parents, Claude and Mollie.

Claudia, Mollie, and Claudia’s brother Beverly (later known as Jack). Claude probably took the photo, circa 1957.

Beverly and Claudia, in their cowboy and cowgirl suits. Claudia’s cowgirl suit is still at her home in Chatham, Virginia. Unknown year, unknown photographer.

Claudia and our cat. I took this photo at our home in Fredericksburg, Virginia, in 2002 or 2003. A neighbor had discovered two kittens trapped in a window well somewhere on the campus of Mary Washington College. One was long-haired, one was not.

The neighbor kept the long-haired cat and named her Alice. Alice was very sweet.

We adopted the other one, who turned out to be very surly. Claudia named her Lucinda Williams.

Lucinda is still living, but has mellowed, somewhat.