Rhina Espaillat is a poet, essayist, and bilingual translator. Born in the Dominican Republic in 1933, her family fled to the United States to settle in New York City in 1939. She began writing bilingual poetry as a young girl and has published numerous poetry and prose collections in both languages. She received the T.S. Eliot (1998) and the Richard Wilbur (2001) awards. In 2018, Salem State College granted her its Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2024 she accepted the Order of Duarte, Sánchez y Mella, the highest award granted by the Dominican Government to its citizens. More on the poet at: Rhina P. Espaillat | The Poetry Foundation.
