Linda Alouise Gregg was born September 9, 1942, in Suffern, New York, and grew up in Marin County, California. She attended San Francisco State College (now San Francisco State University), graduating with her bachelor's degree in 1967. She taught at Pippa Passes College and Humboldt State College in 1967, and went on to earn her master of arts degree from San Francisco State in 1972. Her professional career began with teaching at such schools as Indian Valley College, University of Tucson, Napa State, and Louisiana State University. As her writing career has grown, with numerous poems and stories published in literary journals and more than seven books, she has continued to teach. She has held positions at the prestigious University of Iowa Writers Workshop and at University of California-Berkeley.

In 1981 Gregg published her first poetry collection, Too Bright to See. It was followed by Eight Poems in 1982, Alma in 1985, The Sacraments...