William Stanley Merwin (New York City, September 30, 1927) is credited with over 30 books of poetry, translation and prose. Residing in Hawaii, he writes prolifically and is dedicated to the restoration of the islands' rainforests. Merwin has received many honors, including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (in both 1971 and 2009) and the Tanning Prize, one of the highest honors bestowed by the Academy of American Poets. In 2010, the Library of Congress named Merwin the seventeenth United States Poet Laureate. Merwin passed away in his sleep on March 15, 2019.