Cecilia Rodríguez Milanés was born in New Jersey to Cuban parents and writes fiction and poetry. Her debut collection of stories, Marielitos, Balseros and Other Exiles (Ig Publishers, 2009), was followed by Everyday Chica, 2010 winner of the Longleaf Press Poetry Chapbook award. She lives in Orlando where she teaches and is currently working on another collection and a novel.