Michael Poage was born in Virginia. He has published fifteen books of poetry, most recently, WHY THE WILL TO PUNISH?, Spartan Press, December, 2023. He served as the Poet-in-Residence at Dzemal Bijedic University in Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina, 2017-18 and received a Fellowship to virtually teach English language and literature at Walailak University in southern Thailand, 2021-22. He also teaches English to international students at Wichita State University and lives with his wife, the writer, scholar, and activist, Dr. Gretchen Eick in Wichita, Kansas.