I’m an award-winning author and educator whose work in three genres—fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction—focuses strongly on place, culture, and the natural environment. I have an especially deep interest in Central Asia, where I lived and worked for four years, and I’ve traveled widely across Asia and twice bicycled throughout Great Britain. I earned degrees in creative writing from Bowling Green State University (BFA) and Eastern Washington University (MFA). I’ve taught writing and literature for nearly two decades and conducted numerous workshops, both in the U.S. and abroad. I currently live with my wife (an ethnic Russian Kazakhstani) and two cats in Corvallis, Oregon, where I teach at Oregon State University and am at work on a novel. I’m available for workshops, readings, and related areas. Please contact me through my website listed above.