Su abuelo mexicano editó un periódico en Hermosillo, México, y fue un poeta publicado. Su abuela materna, una curandera/sanadora india yaqui (al igual que su madre) de Sonora, la crio en el Distrito de la Misión de San Francisco.^[1]​

Enseñó en la Universidad de California Santa Cruz, Cabrillo College, Naropa Institute, Mesa College, Universidad de California en San Diego, Universidad de Stanford, Universidad del Pacífico y Universidad de Antioch en Los Ángeles. Vive en San Miguel de Allende, México.^[2]​

• 1989 American Book Award por la novela The Ultraviolet Sky
• Premio PEN Oakland de ficción, 1994, por la novela Naked Ladies
• Premio de Literatura Latina, Nueva York, 1994, por poesía, Planeta
• Mejor poesía estadounidense, 1996, por el poema “Crazy Courage”
• 1976-1977 Premio Literario Chicano/Latino ^[3]​

• Song of the Golden Scorpion. Wings Press. 2013. ISBN 978-1-60940-346-1
• Soft Chaos. Bilingual Press/Editorial Bilingüe. 2009. ISBN 978-1-931010-37-5. 
• Luna's California Poppies. Bilingual Press/Editorial Bilingüe. 2002. ISBN 978-0-927534-99-4. 
• Vida, poetry. Wings Press. May 2002. ISBN 978-0-930324-66-7. 
• Desire. Bilingual Review Press. September 1998. ISBN 978-0-927534-76-5. 
• Weeping Woman: La Llorona and Other Stories. Bilingual Press. 1994. ISBN 978-0-927534-38-3. 
• Naked Ladies. Bilingual Review Press. January 1994. ISBN 978-0-927534-30-7. 
• Planet with Mother, May I?. Bilingual Review Press. July 1993. ISBN 978-0-927534-17-8. 
• The Ultraviolet Sky, republished with Doubleday, 1993. ISBN 0-385-42014-5
• The Ultraviolet Sky. Bilingual Review Press. June 1988. ISBN 978-0-916950-85-9. 
• Life Span (Place of Herons Press, 1985)
• Blood Root (Blue Heron Press, 1977)

• Terry Beers, ed (2012). "Califlora, A Literary Field Guide." Excerpt from novel, "Luna's California Poppies." Heyday Books. ISBN 978-1-59714-161-1
• Robert Shapart, James Thomas, Ray Gonzalez, eds (2010). "Sudden Fiction Latino." Short story, from book, "Weeping Woman, La Llorona," "People of the Dog." W.W. Norton. ISBN 978-0-393-33645-0
• J. Sterling Warner, Judith Hillard, eds (2009). "Visions Across the Americas: Short Essays for Composition." Wadsworth Press. ISBN 978-1428263772
• Jose Gurpegui, ed (2009). Camino Real. Universidad de Alcala- Madrid, Spain. ISSN 1889-5611
• "Pembroke Magazine, Number 40" (University of North Carolina, 2008)^[4]​
• Mary Frosch, ed. (2008). Coming of Age In The 21st Century. New Press. ISBN 978-1-59558-055-9.  Story from "Weeping Woman, La Llorona."
• Stephanie Fetta, ed. (2008). «To Jesus Villanueva, with Love; I Was a Skinny Tomboy Kid; There Were Times». The Chicano/Latino literary prize: an anthology of prize-winning fiction, poetry, and drama. Arte Publico Press. ISBN 978-1-55885-511-3. 
• Cris K A DiMarco, ed. (2007). Solamente en San Miguel. Windstorm Creative. ISBN 978-1-59092-691-8. 
• Susan Koppelman, ed (2003). Between Mothers and Daughters: Stories Across Generations. The Feminist Press. ISBN 978-1-55861-459-8
• J. Excerpt from novel, "Naked Ladies". H. Blair, ed. (2002). Caliente: The Best Erotic Writing in Latin American Fiction. Berkley Books. ISBN 978-0-425-18466-0. 
• Rick Heide, ed. (2002). «La Llorana / Weeping Woman». Under the fifth sun: Latino literature from California. Heyday Books. p. 481. ISBN 978-1-890771-59-1. (requiere registro). «Alma Luz Villanueva.» 
• Constance Warloe, ed. (1 de mayo de 2001). From Daughters and Sons To Fathers. Story Line Press. ISBN 978-1-58654-003-6. 
• Neil Philip, ed. (2001). It's a Woman's World: A Century of Women's Voices in Poetry. Dutton. ISBN 9780525463283. (requiere registro). 
• Lauri Umansky; Michelle Plott, eds. (2000). «Blood Ties». Making Sense of Women's Lives: An Introduction to Women's Studies. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-939693-53-5. 
• Elizabeth Roberts; Elias Amidon, eds. (1999). Prayers For A Thousand years. HarperSanFrancisco. ISBN 978-0-06-066875-4. (requiere registro). 
• Burleigh Muten, ed (1999). Her Words: Anthology of Poetry About The Great Goddess. Shambhala. ISBN 978-1-57062-473-5
• Manuel de Jesús Hernández-Gutiérrez; David William Foster, eds. (1997). «Trust». Literatura chicana, 1965-1995: an anthology in Spanish, English, and Caló. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-0-8153-2077-7. 
• Burleigh Muten, ed (1997). Return of The Great Goddess. Stewart, Tabori, Chang. ISBN 978-1556706080
• Constance Warloe, ed. (1997). I've Always Meant To Tell You, Letters To Our Mothers. Pocket Books. ISBN 978-0-671-56324-0. 
• Adrienne Rich; David Lehman, eds. (1996). The Best American Poetry 1996. Scribner. ISBN 978-0-684-81455-1. (requiere registro). 
• Lillian Castillo-Speed, ed. (1995). Latina: Women's Voices from the Borderlands. New York: Touchstone Press. ISBN 978-0-684-80240-4. 
• Roberta Fernández, ed. (1994). «An Act of creation; Trust; Indian Summer Ritual». In other words: literature by Latinas of the United States. Arte Publico Press. p. 247. ISBN 978-1-55885-110-8. (requiere registro). «Alma Luz Villanueva.» 
• Erica Bauermeister; Jesse Larsen; Holly Smith (1994). 500 Great Books by Women. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-017590-5. 
• Annie Finch, ed. (1994). A Formal Feeling Comes. Story Line Press. ISBN 978-0-934257-98-5. 
• Unsettling America. Penguin Books. 1994. ISBN 978-0-670-85170-6. (requiere registro).  (reprint 2008)
• Ray González, ed. (1992). Mirrors Beneath The Earth. Curbstone Press. ISBN 978-1-880684-02-3. 
• Janine Canan, ed (1989). She Rises Like The Sun: Invocations of the Goddess by Contemporary American Women. Crossing Press. ISBN 978-0-89594-353-8
• Alfonso Rodríguez; Santiago Daydí-Tolson, eds. (1985). Five Poets of Aztlan, Epic poem, "La Chingada.". Bilingual Press. ISBN 978-0-916950-41-5. 
• Florence Howe; Ellen Bass, eds. (1973). No More Masks!. Garden City, N.Y., Anchor Press. ISBN 978-0-385-02553-9.  (reprint HarperPerennial, August 1993, ISBN 0-06-096517-7)

• Sitio web oficial
• Author's blog on Blogspot
• POETRY: ALMA LUZ VILLANUEVA
• Mandalapress.com blog
• Alma Luz Villanueva
• Deborah L. Madsen (2000). «Alma Luz Villanueva». Understanding contemporary Chicana literature. University of South Carolina Press. ISBN 978-1-57003-379-7. 
• Edward F. Stanton, ed. (2003). Contemporary Hispanic quotations. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-31464-3.