Alice Notley was born in Bisbee, Arizona in 1945 and grew up in Needles, California in the Mojave Desert. She has lived most extensively in Needles, in New York, and since 1992 in Paris, France. She is the author of numerous books of poetry, and of essays and talks on poetry, and has edited and co- edited books by Ted Berrigan and Douglas Oliver. She edited the magazine CHICAGO in the ’70s and co-edited with Oliver the magazines SCARLET and Gare du Nord in the ’90s. She is the recipient of many awards, including the Ruth Lilly Prize, a lifetime achievement award. Notley may be most widely known for her epic poem The Descent of Alette. Recent books include The Speak Angel Series, Early Works, Telling the Truth As It Comes Up, and the forthcoming Being Reflected Upon.