Deatt Hudson
Deatt Hudson was an American educator and writer. She taught English in schools and colleges in Colorado. Her poetry and short stories were published in The New Yorker and other leading magazines.
Early life and education
Deatt Hudson was born June 20, 1931, at Presbyterian Hospital in Denver, Colorado, to Margaret McEwan Hudson and George Fletcher Hudson. The family moved to Georgetown and Longmont before settling in Dolores, Colorado. In an autobiography she wrote as a school assignment, she said that although the bars in town outnumbered the stores 2 to 1, she found the people "good-hearted and friendly". Even at this early age, she wanted to write poetry and short stories, although she admitted that teaching would probably be a better choice if she wanted to eat. Her parents had high expectations for their daughter, and yet allowed her to make her own decisions. She believed that this helped her become self-reliant and taught her to form her own opinions.Deatt Hudson received her first literary award during her junior year of high school, when she won first place in a Western State College scholarship contest in American literature. Hudson attended Dolores High School and graduated valedictorian in 1948. She was awarded a scholarship to any of the state schools, but opted to earn her B.A. at the University of Denver where she was elected Phi Beta Kappa. She also participated in Ballroom Partners, a dance group. She received an M.A. in American Studies from Yale University in 1954 and another in English from the Breadloaf School of English at Middlebury College in 1967.