P.D. Soros Fellowship for New Americans

John Olivares Espinoza is a poet and writing consultant living in San Antonio, Texas with his family.

Born and raised in Southern California, John and his brothers landscaped with his father, a former undocumented immigrant, while his mother, an immigrant of the Bracero program, worked as a special education teacher's aide.

John completed his MFA in creative writing at Arizona State University in 2004. He received his bachelor's degree in creative writing and sociology from the University of California at Riverside.

John has published three volumes of poetry: Gardeners of Eden (2000), Aluminum Times (2002) and The Date Fruit Elegies (2008), which was a finalist for The Northern California Book Award in Poetry. He is also a recipient of a grant from The Elizabeth George Foundation.