Muske-Dukes is a former Poet Laureate of California, USC Professor and founder of USC's Creative Writing Literary Ph.D. program. Her ninth book of poems, "Blue Rose,” is forthcoming from Penguin in 2018. She has also published four novels, two essay collections, and has edited anthologies. She has been a National Book Award finalist, Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist and Guggenheim, NEA, Castagnola, and Dylan Thomas award winner.