Jose Olivarez is a renowned poet, educator, and author who was born and raised in Calumet, Illinois. He is the proud son of Mexican immigrants, a factor that greatly influences his work and worldview. Olivarez is a graduate of Harvard University, where he gained a significant portion of his education. His writing has been featured in various prestigious publications such as The Paris Review and The New York Times. In addition to his individual work, Olivarez co-hosts a poetry podcast called The Poetry Gods.
Olivarez's debut book of poems, Citizen Illegal, was published in 2018 and quickly gained critical acclaim. The collection was a finalist for the PEN/ Jean Stein Award and a winner of the 2018 Chicago Review of Books Poetry Prize. It was also named a top book of 2018 by NPR and the New York Public Library. Along with Felicia Chavez and Willie Perdomo, Olivarez is co-editing the forthcoming anthology, The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 4: LatiNEXT. His work has been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the first annual Author and Artist in Justice Award from the Phillips Brooks House Association and the Debut Poet of 2018 award from Poets & Writers. In 2019, he was awarded a Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowship from the Poetry Foundation. Olivarez currently resides in New York City.