Award winning Author and Professor Norma E. Cantú received her B.S and her M.S. from Texas A&I University in Laredo and Kingsville, respectively. She earned her Ph.D. in English from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

Her scholarly interests include folklore, Chicana literature and borderlands studies. Her most recent work, forthcoming from the Texas A&M University Press, is a study of the Matachines de la Santa Cruz, a religious dance tradition in Laredo. As professor of English at Texas A&M International University, she teaches a number of courses including linguistics, creative writing, Chicano/Chicana literature and is active in numerous organizations and community endeavors such as Literacy Volunteers of America--Laredo and Amnesty International.