Leonard A. Slade, Jr., a native of North Carolina, has lived in Albany, New York, since 1988. The author of eighteen books, including twelve books of poetry, Slade has received a number of national awards for his work. He studied poetry with Pulitzer Prize Winners Stephen Dunn and Donald Justice. His poetry has been praised by Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Houston A. Baker, Jr. Triumph, his thirteenth book of poems, shares significant ideas and experiences in words that delight the ear and appeal to powerful feelings. This work inspires us to believe in the indestructibility of the human spirit.