ALAN BIRKELBACH has been writing poetry since he was twelve years old. In fact, his first poem ever was about his pet raccoon!
Since then he has written thousands of poems, mostly about Texas, its towns, its history, and its geography. His work has appeared in journals and anthologies such as Grasslands Review, Borderlands, The Langdon Review, and Concho River Review. He has received a Fellowship Grant from the Writer's League of Texas, been named as one of the Distinguished Poets of Dallas, was nominated for a Wrangler Award for his contributions to Southwest Letters, and is a member of The Academy of American Poets. He has five collections of poetry: Bone Song, Weighed in the Balances, No Boundaries, New and Selected Poems (the first in the TCU Texas Poet Laureate Series from TCU Press), and Translating the Prairie: Plano, Texas in Words and Pictures.
In 2005 Birkelbach was named the poet laureate of Texas.
SUSAN J. HALBOWER has a degree in art from Kenyon College, but she learned to watercolor making books for her three young nephews. From that came a line of cards and stationery, bow wow CARDS, and various design commissions ranging from t-shirts to invitations.
She was delighted to have the opportunity to illustrate Alan Birkelbach's vivid poems, and thanks the many smurglets who guided her in this project, and continue to surprise her.