Carson, Catherine: - Catherine Carson studied poetry at James Madison University, but her love affair with poetry began at the age of fifteen. With heroes like Sylvia Plath, Joy Harjo, and Mary Oliver, Catherine writes in a confessional free-verse style. Her award-winning work-which delves into topics such as mental illness, her experiences as a woman, relationships and friendships, and the trials of youth-has been published in Dreamers Creative Writing Magazine. Catherine now pursues poetry as a profession, writing both formally in workshops as well as in her spare time. She regards writing poetry as both a need and a want, and will continue to publish more work.