Kelly Cherry is a former Poet Laureate of Virginia. She serves on the electorate of Poets Corner at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Cherry has published 22 full-length books (9 of poetry), 9 chapbooks, and 2 translations of classical drama. She is Eudora Welty Professor Emerita of English and Evjue-Bascom Professor Emerita in the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.