As a life-long author, writing has been part of my life since. . . well, I cannot remember when it wasn’t. My writing journey started in grammar school. There, I learned the basics: parts of speech, how to diagram sentences, and drafting five-paragraph themes.
    My school was in a village which had only a single road passing through it. In that way, it was very much like Fayetteville NY. Like young Cleveland, I spent much of my childhood playing baseball. Though my skills were less than stellar, I enjoyed bouncing balls against my garage door or a convenient wall, playing pickle with friends, or batting pitched balls with solid maple Louisville sluggers. I lived for Little League and Babe Ruth League ball until my attention shifted to tennis and frisbee.
   As a child, I dealt with bullies, braggarts, and blowhards. My “solutions” were to keep my head down and my eye on the ball. I find bullies still abound, appearing in most any situation and at any stage of life. My search for a successful strategy to contend with these tormentors continues to be a work in progress.
   Like Matilda, I enjoy doing research. It is great fun and rewarding to learn why things are they way they are. When I was in high school, I cut my teeth on library research. I also cut classes, not to goof off, but rather to be a nerd – I visited Patience and Fortitude at the New York Public Library to do research for history projects. I tapped my innate curiosity while earning my B.A. in biology and getting my first taste of original scientific research. My appetite whetted, I delved more seriously into research during my Master’s and doctoral programs.
   Despite my research activities, my greatest senses of accomplishment have come from being a father and teacher. These roles are not far from one other. Helping people learn how to piece things together, master tasks, and set on their own paths of adventure and discovery is immensely rewarding. Since retiring, I have devoted my attention to our local Learning in Retirement program. I believe you can teach old dogs new tricks.
   Writing gives me an opportunity to explore new worlds, challenge myself, and confront vexing questions and situations. I am delighted to share my debut works of fiction with you. Please, join me, intriguing historical figures, and compelling creatures of a fantasy world on our quests for civility and equity.