Marge Piercy is an American poet and novelist born in 1936. Growing up in a working-class Detroit neighborhood, she turns to literature during childhood illnesses and eventually becomes a prominent voice in second-wave feminism. She draws heavily on her personal background, Jewish heritage, and political convictions to write prolific literary works. She actively champions equal rights, labor equity, and the dignity of ordinary work.

The anonymous narrator of the lyric poem "To Be of Use" serves as a universal voice appreciating diligent laborers. The speaker values perseverance and communal effort, praising those who enthusiastically commit to heavy tasks. They hold disdain for individuals who avoid responsibilities or merely delegate from comfortable positions.

Robert Douglas Piercy is a machine repairman working in Detroit, Michigan. He raises his family in an environment characterized by labor and racial tension. His working-class background heavily influences his daughter's later literary focus on labor issues and the struggles of ordinary workers.

Bert Bedoyna Bunnin Piercy is Marge Piercy's mother, raising her children in a tough Detroit neighborhood. Her Jewish heritage exposes the family to local bullying and profound historical grief due to the persecution of family members during the Holocaust. These experiences deeply shape her daughter's worldview and future writings.

Michael Schiff is a physicist of Jewish-French heritage. He meets Marge Piercy while she attends Northwestern University. They marry in 1958 but divorce shortly after in 1959.

Robert Shapiro is a computer scientist who marries Marge Piercy in 1962 in Chicago. The couple maintains an open marriage and heavily participates in civil rights and anti-war activism throughout the 1960s. They eventually settle in Cape Cod before separating in 1980.

Ira Wood is a writer who marries Marge Piercy in 1982. Beyond their personal relationship, they share a strong professional partnership. They live together on Cape Cod, collaborate on fiction and drama, and jointly run the independent publishing company Leapfrog Press for over a decade.