Mary King was born in southern New Jersey and grew up in Oklahoma City, OK, where she was adopted at the age of ten. Her writing has appeared in Quaint Magazine, the Toast, DAME magazine, The Rumpus, and Fit Small Business. She has a degree in English literature from Colgate University, where she has also been featured in the Living Writers program.

Her debut memoir, Bastards– the story of how she and her six biological siblings were separated by adoption–was published by W.W. Norton & Co. Mary is a Literary Death Match champion and an expert home cook.