Howe was born in Boston. Her father was a lawyer and her mother, Mary Manning, was born in Dublin and wrote plays and acted for the Abbey Theatre before moving to the United States.
Howe is one of the most widely read of American experimental poets. Her books include: Selected Poems (2000), Forged (1999), Q (1998), One Crossed Out (1997), O'Clock (1995), and The End (1992). She has also published several volumes of short stories and books for young adults and The Wedding Dress: Meditations on Word and Life (2003), a collection of essays. Here sister, Susan Howe, is also a poet.
She is Professor of Writing and Literature at the University of California, San Diego.