- Distinguished American poet, usually known as W.S. Merwin. As of 2010, he is Poet Laureate of the United States.
- He grew up in Union City, New Jersey and Scranton, Pennsylvania. His father was a Presbyterian minister.
- He wrote two dozen books of poetry, along with story collections, memoirs, plays and translations. His 1970 collection of poems "The Carrier of Ladders" won a Pulitzer Prize, as did "The Shadow of Sirius," an autobiographical collection published in 2008.
- After graduating from Princeton with a bachelor's degree in English, he traveled throughout Europe, translating classic works and working as a tutor.
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