Laura Pedersen is the author of ten books, including Beginner's Luck and Buffalo Gal, which won Best Memoir from ForeWord Magazine and an honorable mention for the Eric Hoffer Award. Honored as one of Ten Outstanding Young Americans by President Clinton, Pedersen was the youngest person to have a seat on the American Stock Exchange. Pedersen currently lives in New York City and teaches at the Booker T. Washington Learning Center in East Harlem, but also maintains a place in Amherst.