Francisco Cantú Biography

Francisco Cantú was born and raised in the American Southwest. He studied international relations as a Fulbright Fellow, focusing on the relationship between the United States and Mexico. After completing his studies at American University, he worked from 2008 to 2012 as a Border Patrol agent in Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico with the intent to better understand the realities of the border. His experiences there would later form the basis of his memoir The Line Becomes a River (2018). After leaving the Border Patrol, Cantú studied creative writing (nonfiction) at the University of Arizona, where he received his MFA. Cantú has been the recipient of a Pushcart Prize (2018), a Whiting Award (2017), and the Art for Justice Fellowship (2018) among other accolades.