Born in Argentina as the daughter of Armenian parents, she began publishing poetry in the late 1960s before settling in Los Angeles in 1971.

[2] She obtained a law degree form the University of Buenos Aires and began practicing as a lawyer, but abandoned the profession to pursue a publishing career.

The collection was translated into Italian and illustrated by the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso.

[2] Writing in Spanish, English, and Armenian,[4] she went on to publish more than 60 books, most of which are poetry collections.

She was nominated for the 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature;[3] the award was later given to the Italian playwright Dario Fo.