Weaving elements of whimsy into dark subjects, Maithy Vu’s work teeters on the edge of surrealism. Though full of childlike wonder, her prose contains a cacophony of emotions undoubtedly aimed at adult readers. ​ Vu started out writing poetry and plays while earning her B.A. in Theater Arts at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her play, Wounded Wisteria, was selected to be a production of the UCSC Chautauqua Festival. After graduating, she published it as a novella, combining fiction in verse with her own watercolor illustrations. ​ Vu went on to earn her M.L.A. in Creative Writing & Literature at Harvard University. During that time, she completed her novel Squid Season—a finalist in the Independent Author Awards for Literary Fiction. She also co-edited the children’s volume Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Inspiring Young Changemakers, which was selected as one of Oprah’s Favorite Things. Her latest works include Poems for Princesses with Peas Under Their Mattresses and the short story collection Shut Me Up in Prose. ​​ She lives on a ridge with her husband and their dog, Willoughby.