Geoffrey Hlibchuk was born the son of a steelworker and a lifeguard in Toronto, Ontario. After failing as a high school dropout, he attended York University where he majored in English literature and creative writing. He subsequently moved to America to join the poetics department at the State University of New York at Buffalo. During his time in academia, he has studied poetry with Charles Bernstein, Gerald Bruns, Michael Davidson, Christopher Dewdney, Lyn Hejinian, Steve McCaffery and others. He has authored numerous critical works on Canadian poetry, in addition to a dissertation that examines the link between poetry and philosophical theories of exceptionality. His current project studies the triadic relationship between poetry, technology and schizophrenia. He now works for Ontario's Ministry of Education, where he helps develop special education policy for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders.