Richard Blanco was made in Cuba, assembled in Spain, and imported to the United States—meaning his mother, seven months pregnant, and his family arrived as exiles from Cuba to Madrid where he was born. Days later, the family emigrated once more and settled in New York City, then in Miami where he was raised. His three acclaimed books of poetry explore the negotiation of cultural identity and universal themes of homecoming. His poems have appeared in top journals and anthologies including, The Best American Poetry and Great American Prose Poems. He’s been featured on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, and many venues including the Miami Book Fair, The Sunken Garden Poetry Festival, and Dodge Poetry Festival. Blanco is recipient of two Florida Artist Fellowships and is a John Ciardi Fellow of the Bread Loaf Writers Conference. A builder of cities as well as poems, he holds a B.S. in Engineering and an MFA in Creative Writing.