Robert Morgan is an acclaimed American poet, short story writer, and novelist. Born on October 3, 1944, in Hendersonville, North Carolina, he grew up in the Green River valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains. As a teenager, he developed interests in composing music and writing poetry and fiction, though he was encouraged to study science during the "Beat the Russians" era after the launch of Sputnik. After initially pursuing studies in engineering and applied mathematics at North Carolina State University, he transferred to UNC-Chapel Hill, where he graduated in 1965 with a B.A. in English. He earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from UNC-Greensboro in 1968.

Morgan's writing journey began in the sixth grade when he wrote his first story. His early works were short stories, but he soon became captivated by poetry. His first book, Zirconia Poems, was published in 1969. During the 1970s and 1980s, Morgan published several poetry collections and began writing fiction again in 1980. His novel "Gap Creek" became a New York Times bestseller and was selected by the Oprah Book Club.

Over his career, Morgan has received numerous accolades, including NEA grants, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the James G. Hanes Poetry Prize. He served as Kappa Alpha Professor of English at Cornell University until his retirement in 2022. Morgan continues to write and resides in Ithaca, New York, with a house in Zirconia, North Carolina.