Joseph P. Clancy was born on March 8, 1928, in New York City. He attended Fordham University, where he earned his undergraduate degree in 1947, his masters degree in 1949, and his doctorate in 1957. During his school years, Clancy worked at the New York Public Library. He has taught at Marymount Manhattan College for many years and continues to make his home in New York City.

A gifted poet, Clancy is probably best known as one of America's most talented translators. He edited and translated The Odes and Epodes of Horace (1960), Medieval Welsh Lyrics (1965), The Earliest Welsh Poetry (1970), and TwentiethCentury Welsh Poems (1980). Clancy earned an award from the Welsh Arts Council for The Earliest Welsh Poetry. He is a member of American Literary Translators and the Welsh Academy.

Clancy's interest in Welsh culture and his knowledge of the language prepared him to write about the legendary King Arthur...