Eavan Boland (1944—2020) was the author of more than a dozen volumes of poetry, including Outside History and several volumes of nonfiction, and was coeditor of the anthology The Making of Poem. Born in Dublin, Ireland, she was one of the foremost female voices in Irish literature. She received a Lannan Foundation Award and an American Ireland Fund Literary Award, among other honors. She taught at Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, Bowdoin College, and Stanford University, where she was the director of the creative writing program.

"Boland . . .discusses the work of women poets that has been important to her, ranging fromthe little-known Charlotte Mew to the over-exposed Sylvia Plath, in criticalessays that connect seamlessly with the personal to create a provocativecollection."