Richard Vargas was born and raised in southern California, where he graduated from California State University, Long Beach. He also published and edited Tequila Review from 1977 to 1979. His first collection of poems, McLife, was published in 2005 by Main Street Rag Press. Extensively published in literary magazines, Vargas has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and his work has been featured on Garrison Keillor's Writers Almanac. He currently resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico.