was born to an American mother and a Palestinian father. At the age of 14, her family moved to Jerusalem. Upon returning to the U.S., she earned a B.A. from Trinity University in 1974. She is the author of several books of poems, including 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East (2002), Fuel (1998), and Red Suitcase (1994). She has received the Texas Institute of Letters, the Carity Randall prize, the Paterson Poetry Prize, and four Pushcart Prizes. She lives today in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband and son.

worked with Michael Macklin on the literary magazine Bananafish and shared with him stories of their sons, hers yet unborn and his already a man.

is the founding editor of The Café Review, host of the CTN5 television show The Poets Cafe, and the author of ten books of poetry.