Sonja Hughey Davis never thought of herself as a writer.

"I always dreamed of writing," said Davis, an English teacher at Jackson High School. "Every English teacher thinks she has a book to write but most of us never get around to doing it."

Davis hasn't written a novel but is a published writer. Her essay, "Reflections to Accompany the Pine Box," has been published in "Exposures -- Essays by Missouri Women."

Davis was at Barnes and Noble Booksellers Saturday to sign copies of the book that features 24 essays by various Missouri women.

Editors sifted through more than 150 entries before picking the 24 that represent Missouri geographically. Davis was the only woman who submitted an essay from Southeast Missouri.

"I was just ecstatic that it was chosen," Davis said. "I never dreamed it would be. I'm thrilled and honored to be published."

That her work was published in a book of women authors makes it even more special, because it was a real step forward for women writers to have such a book, Davis said.

"Anyone into literature can name you a favorite male essayist," Davis said, "but I doubt that many of them could name you a woman essayists. But we do write, too."

Davis admits she didn't spend a great deal of the first part of her life writing. But after undertaking a writing program, she began to write essays as a way of dealing with personal areas of her life.

"I became inspired by the need to discover what I didn't know I knew," Davis said.

But most of her writing has a tendency to tug at the old heart strings.

"Most of my writing is writing that makes you cry," Davis said. "It comes from way down deep in the heart. They're very personal and most of them begin as a sort of catharsis. Over time, they become something I can share."

When she read an article in the newspaper calling for essays from Missouri women in 1995, she knew which of her essays to submit.

"Reflections to Accompany the Pine Box" is the eulogy she wrote for her father's funeral in 1992.