Michael Thomas Gilbride was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1954. He attended Columbia University for two years and has 4 graduate degrees from the City University of New York. He was an early supporter of human and civil rights for LGBTQ people in New York City. He's struggled with issues of faith and religion as well as politics. Michael has been married to Providencia Castro for the past 16 years. Together they had a pre-school nursery in Puerto Rico. Michael has worked as a School Psychologist since September 2000. Prior to that, he had a teaching career in public, parochial, and private schools that spanned 30 years. Michael and Providencia have traveled extensively. Providencia is the owner and operator of "Casa Carlina" in Levittown, Puerto Rico and has just published a book about her mother "Carlina" by Argentine author Iris Tocuyo. Michael produced the manuscript for Peter Orlovsky's first and only book of poems while working for Allen Ginsberg in the 1970's. Recently retired from 11 years of working as a School Psychologist and prior to that a 30 year career as a teacher; Michael looks forward to working in Puerto Rico as a psychologist/poet/writer.