Born in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Joan Crate was raised to have pride in her Indigenous heritage. Her first book of poetry, Pale as Real Ladies: Poems for Pauline Johnson, has become a classic. Her first novel, Breathing Water, was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book Award (Canada) and the Books in Canada First Novel Award. She is a recipient of the Bliss Carman Award for poetry; her collection subUrban Legends was awarded Book of the Year by the Book Publishers Association of Alberta. Her novel Black Apple won the City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize. She taught literature and creative writing at Red Deer College, in Alberta, for over 20 years. She lives with her family in Calgary.