Miranda Merklein was born in Asheville, North Carolina and grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She has a PhD in English from University of Southern Mississippi, an MA in liberal arts from St. John's College, and a BA in political science from College of Santa Fe..
Merklein's work has appeared or is forthcoming in: Spoon River Poetry Review, Oxford American, Natural Bridge,Word Riot, MiPOesias, Iron Horse Literary Review, Apparatus Magazine, The Santa Fe Literary Review, SPECS, South Carolina Review, VOX,Pindeldyboz, Permafrost, Big Muddy, The Battered Suitcase, Epicenter, Southern Poetry Anthology II, Neon (UK), Concho River Review, RiverSedge, Grasslimb, Crucible, Oregon East Magazine, Kokako (NZ), Meridian Anthology of ContemporaryPoetry, Earthships Anthology, Touchstone, Vision Magazine, offcourse, The Binnacle, and others.