Jane Hess Merchant was born in 1919 in Inskip (Knoxville), Tennessee. She was confined to her bed at age twelve from the congenital bone disease Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or Brittle Bone Disease, which also caused her to go deaf at age twenty-three. Despite her crippling disease, Merchant was an incredibly active and prolific writer. From her bedroom she penned more than 3,000 poems, 2,000 letters, and dozens of prose pieces. Although writing for several years, her first published work, a poem printed in an issue of “Progressive Farmer,” did not appear until 1946. Soon after, other publications like “Good Housekeeping” and “The Saturday Evening Post” were quick to print her work. She also maintained continual correspondence with friends, fans, and publishers throughout her life. Merchant passed away in 1972.

Shirley Whitney Kerr, born in 1917, attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and worked in the library. She corresponded with and became friends with Merchant.