After earning a bachelor's degree in non-fiction writing from Hampshire College, Biss moved to New York City. She taught in public schools where her experiences profoundly influenced her writing. In 2003, she moved to Iowa City, where she went on to complete her MFA in the University of Iowa's Nonfiction Writing Program. She currently lives in Rogers Park and teaches at Northwestern University. She is married to John Bresland, and they have a son, Juneau.

An artist in residence at Northwestern University, Biss is also the author of two books and the founder of Essay Press. Her second book, Notes from No Man's Land, won the Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize. In March 2010, "Notes from No Man's Land" won the National Book Critics Circle Award in the criticism category.

The Balloonists (Hanging Loose Press, 2002)Notes from No Man's Land (Graywolf Press, 2009).