"I just kept on doing what everyone starts out doing. The real question is, why did other people stop?" 
                                                                                 William Stafford 

About William Stafford

American poet William Stafford is best known for his first book of poems, Traveling Through the Dark, published when he was 48. Stafford was born in 1914 in Kansas and spent most of his life in Oregon. He was drafted into the army in 1941 but opted out as a registered pacifist. His memoir, Down in My Heart, details the forestry work he did during that period. As a poet, he captured the earthy poignant details of everyday life. Despite his late start, he published 57 volumes of poetry. He died in 1993.