Tim Z. Hernandez is an award winning writer and performance artist originally from California. His books include, Skin Tax (Heyday Books, 2004), and the novel, Breathing, in Dust (Texas Tech University Press 2010). He is the recipient of the 2006 American Book Award, 2010 El Premio Aztlan Prize for Fiction, and a finalist for the California Book Award. His novel was recently featured on NPR's All Things Considered. His performances have been featured in venues such as: The Getty Center (L.A.), Stanford University, and The Dixon Theater in New York City, among others. He received his B.A. in Writing & Literature from Naropa University, and his M.F.A. from Bennington College in Vermont. He works for the Colorado Center for the Book, and lives at the foot of the rockies.