ABOUT WILLIAM JAY SMITH
Poet, children's author, and former U.S. Poet Laureate who is known for The World Below the Window, Celebration at Dark, and other poetic works. His poetry collections for children include Boy Blue's Book of Beasts and Ho for a Hat!
He studied at Washington University, Columbia University, and Oxford University. He was the 1945 recipient of the Young Poets Prize.
He was a two-time finalist for the National Book Award in poetry.
He was married to fellow poet Barbara Howes for nearly twenty years. The couple raised two children.
He and Latino-American author Benjamin Saenz both wrote poetry and children's literature.
