John Pistelli was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. He now lives in Minneapolis, MN, where he teaches literature and writing. His reviews and essays have appeared in Rain Taxi, Powells.com, Dissident Voice, and New Walk. His fiction has appeared in The Three Rivers Review, The Legendary, and Whole Beast Rag. His novella The Ecstasy of Michaela was published by Valhalla Press in 2012. See more at johnpistelli.wordpress.com.