Mark Irwin was born in Faribault, Minnesota in 1953 and graduated from the University of Iowa in 1980. He is the author of five collections of poetry, including his most recent, Bright Hunger (BOA 2004), The Halo of Desire and Against the Meanwhile (3 Elegies). He has also translated two volumes of poetry. His awards include The Nation/Discovery Award, a Pushcart Prize, National Endowment for the Arts and Ohio Arts Council Fellowships, and a Fulbright Fellowship to Romania.
He lives with his family in Denver, Colorado.