Nancy Willard was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan on June 26, 1936. She received a bachelor's degree in 1958 and a Ph.D in 1963 from the University of Michigan and a master's degree from Stanford University. She taught at Vassar College in the English department from 1965 until 2012. She published more than 70 books during her lifetime including collections of poetry, children's books, collections of short stories, novels, essays, and criticism. In 1982, she received the Newbery Medal for A Visit to William Blake's Inn. She died from natural causes on February 19, 2017 at the age of 80.
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