di Michele was born in Lanciano, Italy. She immigrated to Toronto, Ontario with her family in 1955. She obtained an Honours B.A. in English Literature at the University of Toronto in 1972. Later, she completed an M.A. in English and creative writing at the University of Windsor in 1974.
Career
di Michele published her first book of poetry, Tree of August, in 1978.[4] She traveled to Chile in 1987 as part of a literary cultural exchange.[5] In 1990, she became a professor of English at Concordia University.[4]
By 1995 di Michele had written six volumes of poetry. That year she published her first novel, Under My Skin.[6] She continued to write and publish poetry, and in 2005 released a second novel, Tenor of Love.[7][8]
In 2011 di Michele released The Flower of Youth: Pier Paolo Pasolini Poems which returns to the terror of WWII in Italy and the experiences of her family before she was born. It anticipates her next book of poetry on the post-war years, Bicycle Thieves in 2017.[9][10]
In 2007 Guernica Editions published Mary di Michele: Essays on Her Works, edited by Joseph Pivato, which includes studies by ten literary critics and indicates the high regard for her literary production.
In 2024 her works are held in more than 1400 libraries.[11]
Works
Tree of August – 1978
Bread and Chocolate – 1980
Mimosa and Other Poems – 1981
Necessary Sugar – 1984
Anything is Possible: A Selection of Eleven Women Poets (editor) – 1984
