James Kirk was born November 5th, 1958 and grew up in Linwood, NJ., the orchid capitol of the world. He was educated at Stockton State college (BA, Litt, 1981) and the University of New Hampshire (MA, Creative Writing 1983). His book of poems Skating Backwards Upriver is still looking for a publisher. His poems have appeared in Ploughshares, Tendril, Poet Lore, The Mississippi Review, Crazy Horse and has new work forthcoming in the Atlanta Review. He is a two time winner of New Jersey State Council on the Arts grants and one MacDowell Fellowship. He has a forthcoming work of 19th century nonfictional studies entitled, So Ends This Day: The 1878 Diary of Thomas Rose Lake (co-written with his late father) due out Spring 2002 with Down The Shore Publications. He is married and the father of two children. He teaches in the Writing Program at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.