She emigrated to Canada with her husband Rob Porter, from the fourth generation of a Saskatchewan farm family, and resides in North Saanich, British Columbia.
When Porter was 12 years old, her father was transferred to Monroe, Louisiana, where she attended Robert E. Lee Junior High.
She was first introduced to racism at her school when everyone treated the African American staff with no respect by calling them by their first names and playing around with them.
She recalls becoming very interested in world politics and the civil rights movement by watching the evening news every day.
Porter was first introduced to poetry while flipping through the back of her English language arts book in class.
Porter also is an accomplished musician, noted particularly for her abilities in piano, guitar, and singing, and was encouraged by university faculty to major in music.
Soon after earning her MFA, she was awarded a scholarship to attend the Bread Loaf Writer's Conference in Vermont.
She has early memories of hearing the King James Bible read aloud; this gave her an introduction to literature and diverse vocabulary at a young age.
Other influences on Porter include Li-Young Lee, Carolyn Forché, Lorna Crozier, and Patrick Lane.