Sydney Lea was the Vermont poet laureate in 2011–2015 and received the 2021 Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. The author of sixteen poetry collections, including What Shines, he has also published two novels, including Now Look (Down East, 2024) and eight volumes of personal essays, including Such Dancing as We Can (Humble Essayist, 2024). Lea lives in Newbury, Vermont.