Mom was a painter, graphic designer, and fiber artist from Ohio farm country. Dad was an Episcopal priest from low country South Carolina. Before I finished second grade, we moved three times as Dad got new parishes, but after that we settled down until I was in college. I grew up with over two thousand books in the house.

I used to work in a golf putter factory. It was a broadening experience for a sheltered bookworm, because most of the crew had been hired on “work release” from prison. After high school, I went to a small engineering school and settled into Computer Science. I was an average student there, and somewhat unusual because I was better at English than at Math. My writing was too melodramatic (I had imprinted on Tolkien), but at least I could spell and use proper grammar. For that, I thank Mrs. Williams, my 9th grade English teacher.

After college, I programmed computers for the government (from Reagan to Obama) and became a writer/editor by accident. Complex software systems require lots of explanation. My colleagues disliked writing and many of them were terrible at it. I became the editor, fixing the semi-literate prose of my colleagues and producing books that were sometimes three or four inches thick. Along the way, I discovered Edward Tufte and expanded into visual communication using what Mom taught me about graphic design.

For most of my life, my hobby was making models and toys, either kits or scratch-built. In retirement, I tried to turn that into a part-time job. I made licensed Dingbot model kits based on the character in Girl Genius and produced over 10,000 ceramic Tak stones for Pat Rothfuss’s Worldbuilders charity. I also discovered I wasn’t suited to the grind of making the same piece over and over, so I shut down my little factory and closed my online store.

I volunteer at San Diego Comic-Con each year. It’s loads of fun!

In 2016, I started writing stories. My writing has been improving thanks to the patient efforts of two professional editors, several friends, and my wife. As of 2022, I’ve written five novels and several short stories. Nothing has been published, but I’ve collected some encouraging rejections.

I got interested in flying in 2018, particularly gyroplanes. You can blame Randall Munroe for that: https://xkcd.com/1972/ Getting a pilot’s certificate is complicated, and in most parts of the US it’s easier to get lessons in regular airplanes than gyroplanes. Covid-19 put the kibosh on flying lessons for a while, but in late 2022, I earned my private pilot certificate. I looked at buying my own aircraft for a while, or even building one from a kit, but the whole process was stressful rather than fun, so I decided to stop.

I have two grown children from my first marriage. They live in Maryland, where they grew up, and I’m very proud of them. Nowadays I live in upstate South Carolina with my wife (and childhood sweetheart) Meg. We have two horses, two dogs, and an indeterminate number of orchids and chickens. Little girls, never settle for the hamster.