Patricia Smith is the author of six poetry volumes, including the upcoming Shoulda Been Jimi Savannah, which will be published in April, and Blood Dazzler, a finalist for the 2008 National Book Award. Her work has been published in Poetry, the Paris Review, Tin House, TriQuarterly, and the 2011 editions of both Best American Poetry and Best American Essays. She is a professor at the City University of New York.