Meredith Holmes was raised in a small Quaker town in southern New Jersey, the daughter of parents who were avid readers--particularly history, politics, and Russian novels--who enjoyed discussing what they were reading. Thus to Meredith, reading and writing always seemed like the two most natural things in the world. She began writing poetry in high school, graduated from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, with a B.A. in English and, during the 1970s, was part of a poetry writing and performing group called "Big Mama." In 1979, Meredith moved to Cleveland Heights and began working as a writer and editor. In 2005, Meredith was named Cleveland Heights' first poet laureate. She is the author of two books, Shubad's Crown, and  Familiar at First, Then Strange. Meredith's work, which often focuses on familiar places such as city streets, movie theatres, or classrooms, has been featured in multiple anthologies.