The descendant of Kabbalists, visionaries, artists, musicians and martyrs, Ruth was born in Safi, Morocco. Her first novel, The Road to Fez, was published by Counterpoint Press in March, 2001. She gives many readings, lectures and writing workshops at universities, conferences, reading groups and book clubs.

The recipient of literary fellowships from the NEA, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Sewanee Writers Conference, PEN, VCCA and MacDowell Writers Colony among others, she has published fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction in many journals and anthologies, including Becoming Myself: Growing Up Female, Best Contemporary Jewish Writing, The North American Review, Nimrod, Tikkun, and Another Chicago Magazine, as well as Wrestling with Zion, and The Flying Camel.

She holds a PhD in English from Rice University, and is Writer-in-Residence for the Berman Center for Jewish Studies at Lehigh University, where she teaches Jewish literature, Women’s Literature and Creative Writing. She just completed a new novel, Darktown Blues, and a collection of poetry, Dance of the Seven Skins.