Rita Ciresi (born in New Haven, Connecticut) is an Italian-American short story writer, and novelist.
She graduated from Pennsylvania State University with an M.F.A. She teaches at the University of South Florida.
Her work appeared in Oregon Review, Prairie Schooner, South Carolina Review.
2002 Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction, for Mother Rocket1993 Los Angeles Times' Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction2004 American Academy in Rome visiting writer2005 Hawthornden International Writers’ Retreat fellowship in Lasswade, ScotlandBring Back My Body to Me | year=2012|
Blue Italian,. Ecco Press. 1996. ISBN 978-0-88001-515-8. (paperback by Delacorte Press in 1997)Pink Slip. Delacorte. 1999. ISBN 978-0-385-32363-5. (Delta Trade paperbacks in 2000)Remind Me Again Why I Married You. Random House, Inc. 2003. ISBN 978-0-385-33585-0. Mother Rocket: stories. Random House, Inc. 2002. ISBN 978-0-385-33592-8. Sometimes I Dream in Italian. Random House, Inc. 2001. ISBN 978-0-385-33494-5. Mary Ann Vigilante Mannino, Justin Vitiello, eds. (2003). "Toward a New Catholic Novel". Breaking open: reflections on Italian American women's writing. Purdue University Press. ISBN 978-1-55753-243-5. CS1 maint: Uses editors parameter (link)Carol Bonomo Albright, Joanna Clapps Herman, eds. (2008). "Big Heart". Wild Dreams: The Best of Italian Americana. Fordham Univ Press. ISBN 978-0-8232-2910-9. CS1 maint: Uses editors parameter (link)Bill Tonelli, ed. (2003). The Italian American Reader. Morrow. ISBN 978-0-06-000667-9. (reprint HarperCollins, 2005)Regina Barreca, ed. (2002). Don't Tell Mama: The Penguin Book of Italian American Writing. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-200247-6. "Big Heart". The Milk of Almonds. Feminist Press. 2002. ISBN 978-1-55861-453-6. 
