Misa Sugiura's ancestors include a poet, a priestess, a samurai, and a stowaway. She grew up in Northfield, Illinois, (which is less rural than it sounds) and went to college on the East Coast. She lived in Japan for three years before moving to Silicon Valley and becoming a high school English teacher. During her years in the classroom, she met the many wonderful Asian, Latinx, and LGBTQ students who inspired her to write It's Not Like It's a Secret. Misa lives under a giant oak tree with her husband, two sons, two cats, and a gray-banded king snake.
