Mirinda Kossoff was born in Greensboro, North Carolina and grew up not that far away in the small textile and tobacco town of Danville, Virginia, which she couldn't wait to escape. She managed to get as far away as Japan for work, after graduating from The College of William & Mary. Later, she lived in England for nine months. She has been a chameleon in her work life - from hospital social worker, assistant managing editor at a large newspaper, communications director in academia and nonprofits, freelancer, to metal smith, jewelry designer and member artist in Chapel Hill's FRANK Gallery.

Her essays and creative writing have been passions she pursued alongside her day jobs. She penned a weekly column for a local paper, was an essayist/commentator on regional public radio, and taught essay writing at Duke University in a continuing education program now called OLLI. She has been published in newspapers and national magazines.