Kim Addonizio (1954—) was born Kim Addie, but changed her name at seventeen when she discovered that her paternal grandparents had shortened their name when they immigrated from Italy. She grew up in Bethesda, Maryland and eventually settled in the San Francisco Bay area. Though often written in traditional forms, Addonizio’s poems are unflinchingly candid in their treatment of modern romance, physical love, gritty street life, and tattoos. Her third collection, Tell Me, was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2000. She co-wrote The Poets Companion: A Guide to the Pleasures of Writing with Dorianne Laux and has a CD called Swearing, Smoking, Drinking, & Kissing.