Vickie Vértiz is a writer from Bell Gardens. The oldest child of an immigrant Mexican family, Vértiz’s writing can be found in the New York Times magazine and the San Francisco Chronicle, among many other publications. Her book Palm Frond with Its Throat Cut won the 2018 PEN America literary prize in poetry. A recipient of fellowships from the Mellon Foundation, VONA, CantoMundo, and Macondo, Vickie teaches writing at UC-Santa Barbara.