Deborah Miranda

Deborah Miranda is the Thomas H. Broadus, Jr. Professor of English at Washington and Lee University (W&L). She specializes in Indigenous literatures, Critical California Mission Studies, and creative writing. Her research explores themes of cultural identity, colonialism, and resilience. Miranda holds a B.A. from Wheelock College (1983) and M.A./Ph.D. in English from the University of Washington. She is an enrolled member of the Ohlone-Costanoan Esselen Nation and has Santa Ynez Chumash heritage.

Her notable works include Bad Indians: A Tribal Memoir (2015), which won major literary awards, and poetry collections such as Altar for Broken Things (2021). She has been recognized for her teaching excellence, receiving the VFIC Harris Award (2021), and her advocacy for Indigenous literature led to the establishment of the Miranda Collection for Native American Library Acquisitions at W&L’s Leyburn Library.

Miranda’s public engagements include lectures on Two-Spirit literatures and critiques of California mission mythology. Her interdisciplinary work bridges creative writing, history, and activism, emphasizing Indigenous perspectives in academia and beyond.