Dennis O’Driscoll was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, and is the author of eight books of poetry as well as a compilation of nearly two thousand contemporary quotations on poetry. A former editor of and contributor to many periodicals in Ireland, the UK, and the United States, he is also the author of Stepping Stones: Interviews with Seamus Heaney (2008). Prizes include a Lannan Literary Award, the E. M. Forster Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the O’Shaughnessy Award for Poetry. O’Driscoll works as a civil servant in Dublin.