She graduated from the writing program at the University of Victoria, and later the Master’s program in English at Concordia University and Iowa Writers’ Workshop. She currently teaches creative writing at the University of Chicago. Her first book of poetry, Past Imperfect (Anansi) won the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award in 2006. Buffam also won the 1998 CBC Literary Award for Poetry. Her second book, The Irrationalist, will be released by Canarium Books on April 1, 2010.