Dr. Jane Piirto is a native of Ishpeming, Michigan, and is of Finnish heritage. She is the author of twenty books andchapbooks, as well as numerous poems, stories, essays, studies, and articles. Her poetry has been translated into Finnish and read by Garrison Keillor on NPR's "The Writer's Almanac". A former National Education for the Arts (NEA) Poet in the Schools, she has given readings, lectures, and workshops on six continents and is listed as both a poet and a writer in the Directory of American Poets and Writers. Piirto has received Individual Artist Fellowships in both poetry and fiction from the Ohio Arts Council, as well as Lifetime Achievement and Distinguished Scholar awards. Northern Michigan University, her undergraduate alma mater, awarded her an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. She holds graduate degrees from Kent State, South Dakota State, and Bowling Green State universities. She is Trustees' Distinguished Professor Emerita at Ashland University. [janepiirto.com]