Lia Purpura

Lia Purpura was born and raised on Long Island. She earned her BA from Oberlin College and her MFA from the University of Iowa’s Writers’ Workshop.

Purpura is the author of It Shouldn’t Have Been Beautiful (Penguin Books, 2015); King Baby (Alice James Books, 2008); Stone Sky Lifting (Ohio State University Press, 2000); and The Brighter Veil (Orchises Press, 1996). 

Purpura is also the author of the essay collections Rough Likeness (Sarabande Books, 2011); On Looking (Sarabande Books, 2006), a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist; and Increase (University of Georgia Press, 2000). 

Purpura currently teaches at the University of Maryland, where she serves as writer in residence, and lives in Baltimore.