First, let me point out how odd it is to write about myself. As big an ego as I have, it doesn’t suit me but I’ll give it a shot. I’ll try not to undersell myself or sound too pretentious. Too late.

In the end, I should have had someone else do it. If you want to volunteer, let me know.

Writer

I am a writer and have been writing since I was in middle school, which is about thirty years now. I can still remember writing my first screenplay in the eighth grade with my best friend. We would go to the library during every free moment and write in a spiral notebook.

This year, I have finished writing my third book, appropriately titled Newt’s Third. My previous two books were entitled The Elementals and The Escape Artist, which you can purchase on Amazon (shameless plug). In addition, I’ve written poetry, songs and screenplays. There’s been a recent awakening in my desire to write and it is now something that I do daily. Currently, I am moving away from working on a novel to focus on short stories.

Parent

I am a father to three awesome children, ages 16, 14, and 12. They each have their uniqueness and I am lucky to be able to watch them grow and become young adults. They have changed my life in ways I am still trying to understand and I am proud not only to call them my children but also call them my friends. They are all creative and they each express this creativity differently. I see their dedication to their creative interests and I am inspired by them. And I think they modelled this passion and dedication and reminded me of my writing and I am grateful to them for that.

Soon to be three teens makes a “never a dull moment” household.

Educator

I have been in education for about fifteen years working with children with special needs. During this time, I have had the pleasure of working with some pretty amazing kids and I am always impressed with their dedication and the dedication of their families. We should always believe that we all have something to learn and then something to teach.

Education

I have been very fortunate to have gone to some of the best universities in the country. I received my B.A. from the University of California, at Berkeley. I also received an M.F.A. from the University of Southern California. And since I am a nerd, I have also attended UC Irvine, C.S.U.D.H., and C.S.U.L.A.