GALYA GERSTMAN was born in New Jersey. She obtained her BA in Creative Writing at Barnard College and her PhD in French Literature from Columbia University in New York. She taught at Tel Aviv University before moving to Costa Rica to marry and begin a family and a writing career. She has published articles in academic journals and humorous essays in Scary Mommy and other online media. Her experience sending her kids off to college provided background and inspiration for Texting Olivia.
