Frank Varela

Frank Varela was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, and he was educated in Puerto Rico and the Midwest. Varela lived in Oak Park, Illinois and in Cleveland before his latest move to southern New Mexico, where he resides with his wife.

He has published four volumes of poetry, including Serpent Underfoot (March Abrazo Press, 1993) and Bitter Coffee (March Abrazo Press, 2001)  Caleb’s Exile (ELF Creative Workshop, 2009), and Diaspora: New and Selected Poems (Arte Publico Press, 2016).

His children's stories have been published in Front Row and in publications by Arte Publico Press. Other noteworthy journals featuring his work include Another Chicago Magazine, Halogen, Hammers, The Americas Review. He is also featured in the anthology Power Lines (1999), which commemorates the first decade of the Guild Complex, its poets, and its publishing wing, Tia Chucha Press.

Mr. Varela holds degrees from the Catholic University of Puerto Rico, Central Michigan University, and the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He was named Illinois Hispanic Librarian of the Year in 1997, and he his writing has earned him grants and recognition from the Illinois Arts Council.