[1][2] Mona Lisa Saloy was born in New Orleans and got her education in the University of Washington, where she graduated in 1979 with a BA in English.
She then went to San Francisco State University and left with her MA in creative writing and English in 1982.
She then went to Louisiana State University, which she left with a PhD in English and MFA in creative writing in 2005 and 1988.
Saloy is the Conrad N. Hilton Endowed Professor of English at Dillard University.
She has been awarded a number of honours, including the Mayor's Office Tricentennial Grant in 2018.