Nance Van Winckel is the author of five books of poetry, including "No Starling" and "After a Spell," winner of the Washington State Governor's Award for Poetry, and three collections of short stories. Her numerous awards include two National Endowment for the Arts Poetry Fellowships, a Pushcart Prize, and "Poetry Magazine"'s Friends of Literature Award. She lives near Spokane, Washington, with her husband, the artist Rik Nelson.