David Kirby was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He received his B.A. from Louisiana State University, and earned his Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University. He has taught all over America and at international programs in Italy, England, France, and Spain. He is now the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of English at Florida State University. Influenced by artists as diverse as John Keats and Little Richard, Kirby writes distinctive long-lined narrative poems that braid together high and popular culture, personal memory, philosophy, and humor.