Let's make this birthday one to remember.

76 years old (Born on August 20, 1948)

Happy Birthday, Heather McHugh! May your day be filled with poetic justice—cake that's layered like your verses and candles that flicker as brightly as your literary acclaim. From "Hinge & Sign" to "To the Quick," you've dazzled us all, proving poetry can indeed be dangerously delightful.

You've been a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award—talk about setting high standards! Here's hoping this birthday brings you fewer existential dangers and more joyful rhymes. Keep inspiring us with words sharp enough to cut cake (and critics). Cheers to another year of wit, wisdom, and wonderful verse!