The former poet laureate of Colorado, David Mason grew up in Washington State and now lives in Tasmania, the island state of Australia. His many books include Ludlow, an award-winning verse novel, The Sound: New and Selected Poems, Sea Salt: Poems of a Decade, and Pacific Light. An essayist and librettist as well as a poet, Mason taught for many years at Colorado College and has given lectures and readings all over the world. His new book is Cold Fire.