Jeff McRae was born and raised in Vermont and makes his home there with his wife and three children. He earned a Masters in Writing from the University of New Hampshire and a Masters in Fine Arts in Poetry from Washington University, St. Louis where he was the recipient of the Academy of American Poets Prize. Since graduating he has worked as a bagel baker, a fly rod builder, a digital copywriter, an youth employment specialist, and for fifteen years as a literature and creative writing instructor where he was recognized as the Adjunct Professor of the Year. He has also volunteered his time as a poetry reader for Boulevard Magazine and The Adroit Journal. With poetry, music has been a life-long constant. A member of the local musician's union, he has worked as a drummer in theaters, clubs, and coffee houses throughout New England in a variety of rock, trad jazz, big band, bluegrass, and country bands as well as regularly performing in pit bands for summer stock and seasonal productions.