Born in the Azores, Portugal, emigrated to the US in 1963. Lived in California for 14 years; has resided in Amherst, MA for 30 years. Has taught Spanish and Portuguese language and literatures at the undergraduate level; Portuguese, Lusophone African, and Brazilian literatures at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and courses in Portuguese- and English-language literature of the Portuguese diaspora in the US. Literary critic, autobiographer, short story writer, and translator.