Jan Clausen was born in North Bend, Oregon, in 1950. Clausen attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon, majoring in philosophy and dropping out after her junior year. In 1973, she moved to New York City, and soon came out into a vibrant lesbian feminist community, finding an audience for her writing via its poetry readings and growing small press movement. She is the author of a dozen books in a range of genres. Her most recent poetry collections are DURATION, From a Glass House and IF YOU LIKE DIFFICULTY, VEILED SPILL: A SEQUENCE. Prose titles include the story collection Mother, Sister, Daughter, Lover; the novels Sinking, Stealing and The Prosperine Papers; and the memoir Apples and Oranges: My Journey Through Sexual Identity. Clausen's poetry and creative prose are widely published in journals and anthologies; her book reviews and literary journalism have appeared in Boston Review, Ms., The Nation, Poets & Writers, and The Women's Review of Books.