I was in the restaurant biz for twenty years before I switched careers and began teaching at Florida International University, where I received an MFA in fiction. I’m a frequent presenter at national and international teaching conferences on such topics as The Digital Collage: Protest Art for the Activist Student and Contemplative Practices for the Gateway Classroom. A South Florida native, I’ve also lived in New York City, Los Angeles, Key Largo, and Cape Cod, but eventually returned to my roots to settle down in Hollywood, Florida with my wonderful wife and two young daughters.