Maria Caponi was born and grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina. An only child with imaginary friends, she spent a large part of her waking hours making up stories and working on mathematical equations. She has a Ph.D. in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Maryland, and a Creative Fiction Writing certificate with distinction from the University of California, Los Angeles. When she is not traveling, she lives in Manhattan Beach, Ca.  Her debut memoir “An Accidental Pilgrim, a memoir in prose and verse,” was released on February 14, 2024. Maria is currently completing a collection of poems and working on a series of personal essays. More details about her work, her publications, and interests can be found at www.mariacaponi.com.