Raymond Carver (1938-1988) was an American poet and short story author. He graduated from Yakima High School in Washington in 1956. Carver then took classes at Chico State College, and in 1960, his first published story, "The Furious Seasons," appeared in Selection, the Chico State literary magazine. He later transferred to Humbolt State College, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies in 1963. While attending Humbolt State, Carver served as editor for the college's literary magazine, Toyon. He also published pieces of his writing in Toyon, both under his own name and under the pseudonym John Vale.

Between 1956-1970, Carver worked in various positions, including at a sawmill, as a custodian, and as a textbook editor. In 1967, his story "Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?" appeared in the anthology Best American Short Stories. Carver's first book of poems, Near Klamath, was published the following year. By 1973, he was teaching at several universities and workshops in California, while serving as a visiting lecturer at the Iowa Writer's Workshop. Carver's first short story collection, Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?, was published and shortlisted for the 1977 National Book Award for fiction. In 1978, he became the Visiting Distinguished Writer-in-Residence at the University of Texas, El Paso. He later taught at Syracuse University in New York. Throughout his lifetime, Carver wrote 72 short stories and 306 poems, as well as other pieces of writing. He was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 1988, after his death.