Elwin L. Wirkala grew up in Naselle, Washington, where he developed an early passion for poetry inspired by Henley’s Invictus and his parents’ readings of the Bible. While studying English at the University of Washington, he joined the Peace Corps and spent 21 years in Brazil, becoming fluent in Portuguese and Spanish. During that time, he taught English privately, including to former Brazilian President Juscelino Kubitschek, and started a family. Returning to Seattle, he completed his master’s degree and became a language instructor at the University of Washington. A lifelong writer and translator of poetry, his first book focuses on Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz’s Primero Sueño (First Dream).
1634 11th Ave.
Seattle, WA 98122