Marilyn L. Taylor holds an MA in linguistics and PhD in creative writing from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. A former Poet Laureate of Wisconsin and of the city of Milwaukee, she is the author of eight collections of poetry, most recently Step on a Crack. Her poems and essays have also appeared in many anthologies and journals, including Poetry, American Scholar, and Verse Wisconsin. She has been awarded First Place in a number of national and international poetry contests and recently won the Margaret Reid Award for verse in traditional forms. Currently a resident of Madison, Marilyn facilitates independent poetry workshops, readings, and presentations locally, statewide and elsewhere.