Edwin Cruz was born the seventh child of thirteen on the far south side of the city of Chicago in Illinois. His parents migrated from Puerto Rico to Chicago in search of a brighter tomorrow, and Edwin’s education was earned in the Chicago public school system. He learned of his interest in writing soon after his release from prison. It was during this time that he journeyed into the field of higher education to not only learn the mechanics of writing, but also to practice the art and gain valuable critique from those considered experts in the field. Here is where he met his mentor Dr. Phil Brown, who not only helped him fine-tune his writing skill, but also urged him to continue his studies at the graduate level. After graduate school, he began his career as an instructor of English in higher education and passionately practiced his second love: teaching. He relocated to Hammond, Indiana but that stay did not last long. Edwin moved back to the city of Chicago where he continues to teach today and share his philosophy with students to always pursue an ambition because according to him, a person without a goal is no longer living: only existing.