2 0 1 0 , ▁she ▁received ▁the ▁P EN / V o el cker ▁Award ▁for ▁Po etry . ▁She ▁was ▁short list ed ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁P EN ▁Award ▁for ▁Po etry ▁in ▁Trans lation ▁for ▁her ▁translation ▁of ▁T ales ▁of ▁a ▁Sever ed ▁Head ▁by ▁Rach ida ▁Mad ani . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁ ▁H acker ▁was ▁born ▁and ▁raised ▁in ▁Bron x , ▁New ▁York , ▁the ▁only ▁child ▁of ▁Jewish ▁imm igr ant ▁parents . ▁Her ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁management ▁consult ant ▁and ▁her ▁mother ▁a ▁teacher . ▁H acker ▁attended ▁the ▁Bron x ▁High ▁School ▁of ▁Science , ▁where ▁she ▁met ▁her ▁future ▁husband ▁Samuel ▁R . ▁Del any , ▁who ▁would ▁become ▁a ▁well - known ▁science - f iction ▁writer . ▁She ▁en rolled ▁at ▁New ▁York ▁University ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁fifteen ▁( B . A ., ▁ 1 9 6 4 ). ▁Three ▁years ▁later , ▁H acker ▁and ▁Del any ▁tra ve led ▁from ▁New ▁York ▁to ▁Detroit , ▁Michigan ▁and ▁were ▁married . ▁In ▁The ▁Mot ion ▁of ▁Light ▁in ▁Water , ▁Del any ▁said ▁they ▁married ▁in ▁Detroit ▁because ▁of ▁age - of - cons ent ▁laws ▁and ▁because ▁he ▁was ▁African - American ▁and ▁she ▁was ▁C au cas ian : ▁" there ▁were ▁only ▁two ▁states ▁in ▁the ▁union ▁where ▁we ▁could ▁leg ally ▁wed . ▁The ▁closest ▁one ▁was ▁Michigan ." ▁They ▁settled ▁in ▁New ▁York ' s ▁East ▁Village