N. K. Jemisin is an African-American female writer of speculative fiction. She was born in Iowa City, Iowa and grew up in New York City and Mobile, Alabama She lived in Massachusetts for ten years and then moved to New York City. She attended Tulane University from 1990 - 1994, receiving a B.S. in psychology. She went on to earn her M. Ed from the University of Maryland College Park. She is a former member of the Boston-area writing group BRAWLers, as well as a current member of Altered Fluid. A graduate of the 2002 Viable Paradise writing workshop, she has published a number of short stories and has completed several novels. In 2010, her short story "Non-Zero Probabilities" was a finalist for the Hugo and Nebula awards. Currently, she lives in Brooklyn, NY. In addition to writing fiction, she works as a career counselor.