Vickie Vértiz was born and raised in southeast Los Angeles. Her writing explores the intersections of feminism, identity, and Latino sub-cultures through everyday beauty. With a master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Texas, Austin, Vickie has established a career as a bridge-builder between under resourced communities and higher education through the art of writing and advocacy.

Her writing is widely anthologized, found in publications such as Open the Door, a teaching guide from McSweeney’s and The Poetry Foundation. Her poetry collection, Swallows is currently available for purchase from Finishing Line Press.

Presently, she is a candidate for a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of California, Riverside.