br arian ▁at ▁the ▁Aud ub on ▁Society , ▁and ▁a ▁fre el ance ▁editor . ▁Not ▁until ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 6 0 s , ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁in ▁her ▁for ties , ▁did ▁she ▁return ▁to ▁writing ▁poetry . ▁Her ▁first ▁poem ▁was ▁published ▁by ▁The ▁New ▁York er ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁si xty - three , ▁she ▁published ▁her ▁first ▁full - length ▁collection , ▁The ▁King fish er . ▁In ▁the ▁de cade ▁that ▁followed , ▁Cl amp itt ▁published ▁five ▁books ▁of ▁poetry , ▁including ▁What ▁the ▁Light ▁Was ▁Like ▁( 1 9 8 5 ), ▁Arch a ic ▁Figure ▁( 1 9 8 7 ), ▁and ▁West ward ▁( 1 9 9 0 ). ▁Her ▁last ▁book , ▁A ▁Sil ence ▁Op ens , ▁appeared ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁She ▁also ▁published ▁a ▁book ▁of ▁ess ays ▁and ▁several ▁priv ately ▁printed ▁ed itions ▁of ▁her ▁longer ▁po ems . ▁She ▁taught ▁at ▁the ▁College ▁of ▁William ▁and ▁Mary , ▁Smith ▁College , ▁and ▁Am her st ▁College , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁her ▁time ▁spent ▁in ▁Manh attan , ▁in ▁a ▁remote ▁part ▁of ▁Maine , ▁and ▁on ▁various ▁tri ps ▁to ▁Europe , ▁the ▁former ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁Iowa , ▁Wales , ▁and ▁England ▁that ▁most ▁directly ▁influenced ▁her ▁work . ▁Cl amp itt ▁was ▁the ▁recip ient ▁of ▁a ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁G ug