Pat Mora, a leading figure in contemporary Hispanic poetry, was born on January 19, 1942 in El Paso, Texas. She received a BA from Texas Western College in 1963 and an MA from the University of Texas, El Paso in 1967.

Her recent books include Dizzy in Your Eyes: Poems about Love (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2010); My Own True Name: New and Selected Poems for Young Adults, 1984-1999 (Arte Publico Press, 2000), Aunt Carmen's Book of Practical Saints (1997), and Agua Santa: Holy Water (1995).

Her numerous awards and fellowships include the Kellogg National Leadership Fellowship, fellowships in poetry from the National Endowment for the Arts, four Southwest Book awards and the Premio Aztlán Literature Award.

In addition to her books of poetry, Mora is the author of numerous children's books, including A Birthday Basket for Tia (1992) and a memoir. Mora has taught at the University of New Mexico where she held the position of Distinguished Visiting Professor. She has also worked as a museum director and as a consultant on U.S.-Mexico youth exchanges.

She resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Cincinnati, Ohio.