9 5 8 ) ▁is ▁an ▁American ▁author ▁and ▁poet . ▁ ▁Mor row ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Gene va , ▁New ▁York ▁and ▁attended ▁Bar n ard ▁College ▁and ▁Columbia ▁University . ▁ ▁Her ▁first ▁book , ▁The ▁Names ▁of ▁Things : ▁A ▁Pass age ▁in ▁the ▁Egypt ian ▁Des ert , ▁is ▁" tra vel ▁writing ▁and ▁mem oir ▁thread ed ▁through ▁with ▁mus ings ▁on ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of ▁words " ▁which ▁An net te ▁Kob ak ▁says ▁" man ages ▁to ▁un lock ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁the ▁a we ▁and ▁poetry ▁our ▁most ▁ancient ▁ancest ors ▁must ▁have ▁felt ▁in ▁naming ▁things ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ". ▁ ▁The ▁book ▁was ▁partially ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁her ▁younger ▁brother . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁final ist ▁for ▁the ▁P EN : ▁Mar tha ▁Al brand ▁Award ▁for ▁the ▁Mem oir ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁James ▁Dic key ▁pra ised ▁her ▁work , ▁comparing ▁it ▁to ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁Stephen ▁C rane , ▁Robert ▁Gra ves ▁and ▁Fre ya ▁St ark . ▁ ▁Mor row ▁was ▁a ▁fellow ▁of ▁the ▁C rane - R og ers ▁Foundation / Inst itute ▁of ▁Current ▁World ▁Affairs ▁in ▁Egypt ▁and ▁Sud an ▁( 1 9 8 8 – 9 0 ). ▁ ▁She ▁is ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁fellow ▁of ▁the ▁G ug gen heim ▁Foundation . ▁ ▁She ▁is ▁married ▁to ▁the ▁American ▁ess ay ist ▁L ance ▁Mor row . ▁They ▁live ▁on ▁a ▁farm ▁in ▁Columbia