McGinley, Phyllis,1905–78, American poet, b. Ontario, Oreg. Her light verse treats aspects of modern life with humor and underlying seriousness. Among her best-known collections of verse are A Pocketful of Wry (1940), The Love Letters of Phyllis McGinley (1950), and Times Three (1960; Pulitzer Prize). She also wrote many light essays as well as criticism, children's books, and song lyrics. Saint-Watching (1969) recounts the lives of various saints with irreverence and affection.
