Obed Silva was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, and grew up in Orange County, California. Obed was raised by a single mother who was often at work. As a result, he sought comfort in the streets from an early age. At age fourteen, he joined a gang and dropped out of high school. Obed, moving in and out of juvenile institutions for several years, became involved in a liquor store robbery at seventeen. The incident resulted in a gunshot wound to his back, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. A year later, he found himself in a courtroom facing attempted murder charges for shooting a rival gang member. At the time, he was looking at serving a life sentence in prison. Ultimately, the court sentenced him to five years on gang-terms probation. It was during this time that he committed himself to a life of education. He earned an associate of arts degree at Cypress College. He later earned a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and a master’s degree in English from California State University at Los Angeles.

Obed Silva teaches English at East Los Angeles College. The Death of My Father the Pope is the first of his two memoirs to be published. He is currently completing his second memoir, In The Hands of My Mother.

In addition to being an educator and author, Obed is an experienced public speaker. Using his lived experiences as the central topic, he has delivered the keynote address for graduation at various high schools, colleges, and universities. He has also spoken to groups of young people at different juvenile institutions, foster homes, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers. Institutions frequently invite Obed back due to the motivating and inspiring nature of his talks.