Mary Allen is the author of a literary memoir, The Rooms of Heaven, published by Alfred A. Knopf and Vintage Books. Her second book-length memoir, Awake in the Dream House, was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts creative writing fellowship. She received an M.F.A. from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and has taught in the Nonfiction Writing Program at The University of Iowa. She lives in Iowa City and is a full-time writing coach.