▁ 1 9 5 4 ) ▁is ▁an ▁American ▁poet ▁and ▁song writer . ▁He ▁is ▁the ▁author ▁of ▁nine ▁books ▁of ▁verse , ▁two ▁poetry ▁anth ologies , ▁a ▁mem oir , ▁numerous ▁popular ▁and ▁classical ▁art ▁songs . ▁He ▁wrote ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁lyr ics ▁for ▁B ark ! ▁The ▁Musical . ▁An ▁award - win ning ▁opera , ▁When ▁Ad on is ▁C alls , ▁is ▁composed ▁entirely ▁of ▁D ill ard ’ s ▁poetry . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁D ill ard ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁As he ville , ▁North ▁Carolina , ▁on ▁November ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 1 9 5 4 . ▁He ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁high ▁school ▁program ▁at ▁the ▁North ▁Carolina ▁School ▁of ▁the ▁Arts ▁and ▁also ▁attended ▁California ▁Institute ▁of ▁the ▁Arts . ▁His ▁first ▁chap book ▁of ▁poetry , ▁Tw enty ▁Nin ete en ▁Po ems , ▁was ▁published ▁by ▁Ian ▁Young ' s ▁Catal yst ▁Press ▁when ▁D ill ard ▁was ▁ 2 0 ▁years ▁old . ▁ ▁Hollywood ▁Years ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁D ill ard ▁lived ▁in ▁Hollywood , ▁California , ▁and ▁his ▁experiences ▁there ▁figured ▁heavily ▁in ▁his ▁aut obi ography , ▁In ▁the ▁F lesh : ▁Und ress ing ▁for ▁Success , ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁by ▁Bar rica de ▁Books . ▁D ill ard ' s ▁port ra its ▁have ▁been ▁drawn ▁by ▁Tom ▁of ▁Finland ▁and ▁Don ▁Bach ard y . ▁Ph otos ▁of ▁D ill ard