Christian McEwen was born in London and grew up in the Borders of Scotland. She has edited four anthologies, including Naming the Waves: Contemporary Lesbian Poetry, and Jo's Girls: Tomboy Tales of High Adventure, True Grit & Real Life. She has written for the Nation and the Village Voice, and her poems and essays have been widely published. McEwen has taught poetry, environmental literature and creative writing at a number of different venues, including The Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh, Williams College, Smith College, and Lesley University. She has been a fellow, several times, at the Yaddo and MacDowell colonies, and currently lives in Northampton, Massachusetts.