Derrick Harriell was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He holds a Ph.D. from UW-Milwaukee and a MFA in Creative Writing from Chicago State University. He is a Professor of Creative Writing and African-American Studies at the University of Mississippi, having formerly taught Creative Writing atUW-Milwaukee. He has presented in conferences such as the Idlewild Writers Conference and will present at Chicago State University in 2013. A former assistant poetry editor for Third World Press, Harriell served as poetry editor for The Cream City Review. A Pushcart Nominee, Harriell’s poems have appeared in various literary journals and anthologies, including The Cream City Review, Reverie, the Lamplighter Review and Main Street Rag. His first collection, Cotton, was published by Willow Books. His second collection, ROPES, an epistolary book of persona poems told from the perspective of historical boxers, is forthcoming from Willow Books.