Born in Mississippi in 1966. Old southern family. Lived in Montreal and Italy as a child. Spent high school years in Memphis, TN. Attended college in New Orleans, LA (Tulane) but soon dropped out. Finished B.A. at Memphis State. Headed west in 1990 and lived in Oregon for several years (Portland & Eugene). Received MFA 1995 from Jack Kerouac School at Naropa Institute in Boulder, CO. Has lived in California since '96, primarily in Bay Area and L.A. Worked as homeless counselor, taxi driver, bartender, video store geek, college professor (Evergreen State, Olympia, WA) screenwriter and journalist. Short stories have been published in numerous places, notably Nerve and Bomb. First of the Phineas Poe novels, Kiss Me, Judas originally pub. in '99, selected as Barnes & Noble best new voice, translated into five languages. Penny Dreadful was pub. in 2001. Married, one child by previous marriage. One brother, parents still living.