Denise Levertov (1923-1997) was born in Ilford, Essex, England, but later became a naturalized citizen of the United States. She published her first poem at age 17 and went on to publish over 20 volumes of poetry in the course of her career, as well as five prose works. She was also a contributer to several anthologies. After moving to the United States, she became influenced by the Transcendentalism of Emerson and Thoreau, as well as the experiemtnal styles of Ezra Pound and William Carlos Williams. And, through her husband's friendship with Robert Creeley, became associated with the Black Mountain group of poets in the 1950s.

Alan Helms (1937-) was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and moved to Manhattan in the1950s where he was involved in the artistic scene for more than a decade, becoming friends with prominent figures such as the composer Leonard Bernstein and the playwright Noel Coward. In his 1995 memoir Young Man from the Provinces: A Gay Life before Stonewall, he recounts his time in New York during this vibrant period of social upheaval, particularly his experiences as a young gay man. He earned his BA from Columbia University in 1959 and his PhD from Rutgers in 1971. He began his academic career at University of Massachusetts, Boston in 1971 and is now a professor of English emeritus of the University of Massachusetts.