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Alumna's new poetry book draws from many inspirations
(Posted Sept. 16, 2008)
by Megan Burrough
A number of communication graduates from East Carolina University have gone on to write books, both fiction and nonfiction. Most recently, one such graduate is publishing a book of poetry on diverse topics.
Christina Ruotolo has been a freelance writer and poet since 1996 with over 40 publications. She graduated from ECU with a B.A. in English literature and communication.
Her book, “The Butterfly Net,” is a tapestry of poetry written from 1996–2007 that weaves in the blood-covered battlefields of the American Civil War and the bubonic plague in Venice. It also chronicles the stages of life from childhood through college and adulthood.
Ruotolo said she has always known she wanted to be a writer because of her “wild imagination.” Her parents have been her inspiration through it all; reading up to four books a night to her as a child.
“Without their support and guidance, none of my dreams would have come true,” said Ruotolo. "They gave me wings to fly and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon—so look out New York Times Best Selling List—here I come!"”
Ruotolo related that she owes a lot of her success to ECU.
“ECU is a fabulous school that offered me a wide range of writing opportunities. I took part in a poetry roundtable group where we met and discussed our poems. I attended lectures and double majored so I could take more classes on writing. I attended poetry slams and went to local poetry readings. Education in my eyes is a gift that no one can take away from you. With the right education in your back pocket, any goal can be reached. It also takes hard work and lots of practice.”
She gives advice to current students at ECU, noting that it’s important “to have a balance between work, school and play.”
Ruotolo is the current Community Service Chair for The Kiwanis Club of Greater Greenville, and is on the Board of Family Violence. She works part-time as a wedding planner, and as a bookseller at Barnes & Noble in Greenville.
Books are available online at amazon.com, borders.com, bn.com, and xlibris.com/TheButterflyNet.html.
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