Elise Ballard, the young woman in the back row, was one of the March, 2007, cognoscenti that was collectively dubbed The Tribe of Seven.

That class spent its second evening together with the man standing in the foreground, Dana Gioia, the renowned poet who was – at the time – also the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. Famous poet Peter Nevland – left center – and jazz musician John “Twenty Centimes” Groom (below Peter, next to Dana Gioia) were in that class as well.

While she was at the Academy, Elise decided to write a book that took her around the world. That book has just been released. Watch the video. Buy the book.