Elizabeth Smart was born in Ottawa,Canada, in 1913. She was educated at private schools in Canada and for a year at King's College, University of London.  One day, while browsing in a London bookshop, she chanced upon a slim volume of poetry by George Barker—and fell passionately in love with him through the printed word.  Eventually they communicated directly and, as a result of Barker's impecunious circumstances, Elizabeth Smart flew both him and his wife to the United States. Thus began one of the most extraordinary, intenese and ultimately tragic love affairs of our time. They never married but Elizabeth bore George Barker four children and their relationship provided the impassioned inspiration for one of the most moving and immediate chronicles of a love affair ever writtten—By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept. Originally published in 1945, this remarkable work is now widely recognized as a classic work of poetic prose which has retained all of its searing poignancy, beauty and power of impact.
    After the war, Elizabeth Smart supported herself and her family with journalism and advertising work. In 1963 she became literary and associate editor of Queen magazine but subsequently dropped out of the literary scene to live quietly in a remote part of Suffolk.  Elizabeth Smart died in 1986.