Crossword Genius

US writer, bod losing face employing me! (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

emerson

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'us writer' is the definition.
'Emerson' can be an answer for 'writer' (author Ralph Waldo Emerson). I am unsure of the 'us' bit.

'bod losing face employing me' is the wordplay.
'bod' becomes 'person' (person is a kind of bod).
'losing face' means to remove the first letter.
'employing' is an insertion indicator.
'person' with its initial letter taken off is 'erson'.
'erson' going around 'me' is 'EMERSON'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for emerson that I've seen before include "American writer, 1803-82" , "Ralph Waldo --, US author" , "Individualist" , "American author, 1803-82" , "Ralph Waldo --, US essayist" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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