D. James Smith lives in California's central valley and is the recipient of a fellowship in poetry from the National Endowment for the Arts. His work has appeared in The Carolina Quarterly, New Virginia Review, The Quarterly, Stand, and many other journals. His first collection of poems, Prayers for the Dead Ventriloquist, with an introduction by Dorianne Laux, was published in 1995 (Ahsahta). A novel for young adults, Fast Company (DK), appeared in 1999.