Of South Asian descent, Ignatius Valentine Aloysius earned his MFA in Creative Writing from Northwestern University, where he teaches. He is the author of the novel Fishhead. Republic of Want (Tortoise Books), Salt Pruning, a collaborative poetry collection (Hummingbird Poetry Press), and two forthcoming collections, Everything I Touch Is—& Isn’t—You (Roadside Press, Spring 2026), and Bone Dust Mother (Glass Lyre Press, Summer 2026). Ignatius is a co-editor of The Overturning Anthology (Erratics Press, 2025). He serves as chair of the Curatorial Council at Ragdale Foundation, where he is also a Board of Trustees member. He is shopping a lyrical novel.