; ▁she ▁teach es ▁in ▁the ▁M FA ▁program ▁at ▁Les ley ▁University . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁Verd elle ▁was ▁featured ▁in ▁a ▁document ary , ▁Che ating ▁the ▁Still ness , ▁chron ic ling ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁Julia ▁Peter kin , ▁who ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁American ▁woman ▁to ▁be ▁awarded ▁the ▁Pul itzer ▁Prize . ▁ ▁Peter kin ▁wrote ▁several ▁nov els ▁about ▁black ▁life ▁in ▁the ▁plant ation ▁South . ▁Peter kin ' s ▁pers pect ives ▁were ▁se aring ly ▁int imate , ▁and ▁some ▁readers ▁thought ▁that ▁she ▁must ▁be ▁African ▁American . ▁Verd elle ▁had ▁studied ▁Peter kin ' s ▁o e uv re , ▁and ▁featured ▁her ▁novel ▁Sc ar let ▁Sister ▁Mary ▁in ▁the ▁narr ative ▁interior ▁of ▁The ▁Good ▁Neg ress . ▁ ▁Awards ▁ ▁Final ist , ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times ▁Book ▁Prize ▁ ▁Final ist , ▁P EN / Fa ulk ner ▁Award ▁ ▁V urs ell ▁Award , ▁American ▁Academy ▁of ▁Arts ▁and ▁Let ters ▁▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁Wh iting ▁Award ▁ ▁Works ▁ ▁Crit ic ism ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁Profile ▁at ▁The ▁Wh iting ▁Foundation ▁ ▁" HE M ING WA Y ▁AT ▁ 1 0 0 ", ▁News ▁H our , ▁P BS , ▁July ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁ ▁Category : 1 9 6 0 ▁birth s ▁Category : L iving ▁people ▁Category : 2 0 th - century ▁American