BIOGRAPHY
Henry Reed (1914-1986) was born in Birmingham, England, earned a B.A. from the University of Birmingham (1937), worked as a teacher and free-lance writer (1937-1941), and served in the British Army (1941-1942). His early poetry dealt with political events before and during World War II. "Naming of Parts" was based on his frustrating experience in cadet training.

His collection of poetry, A Map of Verona (1946), revealed a formal, reverent, but also humorous and ironic voice. Another collection of poetry, Lessons of War, was published in 1970. Reed began writing radio plays in 1947 and has generated as many as four scripts a year. His best-known satirical work is the "Hilda Tablet" series, a 1960's BBC-Radio production that parodied British society of the 1930s.