Goldfinches

Born in a small town in Ohio, Mary Oliver published her first book of poetry in 1963 at the age of 28. Over the course of her long career, she received numerous awards. Her fourth book, American Primitive, won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1984. She led workshops and held residencies at various colleges and universities, including Bennington College, where she held the Catharine Osgood Foster Chair for Distinguished Teaching. She died in 2019.

Melissa Sweet is a celebrated author and illustrator. She has written and illustrated many award-winning children’s books, including Balloons Over Broadway and Some Writer! The Story of E. B. White, and is a three-time recipient of the New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book, as well as a two-time Caldecott Honoree. She is an avid birder and Maine Master Naturalist, and lives in Portland, Maine.Please visit her at MelissaSweet.net.