Kurt LandefeldKurt Landefeld was born in San Francisco and, next to Rocky River, Ohio, where he attended high school, considers it his second home. Prior to becoming an award-winning writer and creative director in the advertising industry, he spent several post-cllege years working as a machinist in and around Toledo.

It was at Bucknell University that he was introduced to Jack Kerouac�s writing, as well as the poetry of Allen Ginsberg, Charles Olson, Robert Creeley and others, declaring, �They changed the way America saw itself in the last half of the 20th century.� With this novel, he has said, �As with millions of others, the lyricism and craziness of On the Road fired my imagination decades ago and continued to do so through my life. As I read more of Jack�s novels and poetry, the question of �What if he hadn�t died so young?� has both intrigued and haunted. I decided to try and answer the question myself. What has resulted is a very American story about second chances and the possibility of redemption.�

In addition to his own writing, Landefeld helped launch a children�s book publishing company, VanitaBooks, in 2006. He has edited a debut novel from Newburn Drive Press and a volume of poetry. Active in political and community affairs, as well as the local writing scene, he lives with his wife Carol and dog Jack on the shores of Lake Erie in Huron, Ohio.

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