I am a poet, essayist, photographer, feminist and social activist, born in New York City (1936), lived for many years in Mexico, Cuba, and Nicaragua, and returned to the U.S. in 1984. I now live in Albuquerque, New Mexico with my partner of many years, the painter Barbara Byers. I travel widely to read and lecture. Recent books include TO CHANGE THE WORLD: MY YEARS IN CUBA (memoir, with photos), and STONES WITNESS, THEIR BACKS TO THE SEA, and MY TOWN (poetry, with photographs). Soon to be released: AS IF THE EMPTY CHAIR / COMO SI LA SILLA VACIA (poems in tribute to the disappeared of Latin America, in bilingual edition, translations by Leandro Katz and Diego Guerra), FIRST LAUGH (essays), SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH THE CORNFIELDS, and RUINS (poems, with photos). The desert of the U.S. Southwest is my spiritual home, and ancient ruins--here and in other parts of the world--increasingly my greatest source of inspiration. Visit my web page at www.margaretrandall.org for a more detailed biography, curriculum vita, up-to-date information on my books and to view four ever-evolving portfolios of my photographic images, as well as current news about where and when I will be reading my work.