Cindy Bosley grew up in Ottumwa, Iowa, and has been writing poetry since childhood. She graduated from the Iowa Writers' Workshop in 1991. After leaving her tenured teaching job in Toledo to be an at-home parent to daughters who are regular inspirations in the form of Emma, Isabel, and Molly, Cindy Bosley also quilts and creates dollhouse miniatures. Cindy Bosley's poetry has appeared in several academic and literary journals, and she has two essays published in a college composition textbook. One of the poems in this collection, "Siren, Jealous," was first published in Flyway Literary Journal under the title, "You Don't Have to Leave the Room." She's written several one-act plays for campus productions, and twice attended the Squaw Valley Community of Writers Conference in the late '80s. Bosley gives a thankful nod of literary merit and friendship to Karen Bender, Joy Parker, Sheryl St. Germain, Leonard Kress, Carl Dietrich, Kayla Williams, Loren Gladson, Craig Combs, Shannon Smith, Hod and Pat Doering, Todd Hickman, and many others, including those of the Toledo community of poets and artists. She's been meeting with a small group of writing workshop peers in Toledo for more than 20 years.