Molly Bendall was born in Richmond, Virginia. She is the author of five previous collections of poetry, including Watchful from Omnidawn Press and Under the Quick from Parlor Press. Her chapbook of translations of the Egyptian-French poet Joyce Mansour appeared from Toad Press. She has won the Eunice Tietjens prize from Poetry, The Lynda Hull Award from Denver Quarterly, and two Pushcart Prizes. She teaches English and Creative Writing at the University of Southern California.