Born in Madrid, Spain, and raised between Madrid and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Violeta Garcia-Mendoza draws upon both Spanish and American influences to enliven her writing and teaching.
Violeta graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Spanish Literature from Duquesne University, where she also received minors in English Literature and Education. In the years after her undergrad, Violeta embraced the Spanish spirit of the "autodidacta," incorporating study in various fields, in two languages, to the end of informing her writing. In other words: she gave herself an excuse to spend her days learning more about sonnet forms, mosaics, the lambada, the Manzanares river, the Arabic influence on Spanish language and architecture, triangles, Godzilla... and many other random but fascinating topics.
Currently, she is at work on a poetry chapbook and a novel-in-progress; she also teaches Spanish to middle school students part-time.
Violeta lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, their three children, two dogs, and one rabbit-- a balanced chaos which still allows her just enough time to stare out the window and daydream.
