John Vernon is the author of eleven books, including six novels, a memoir, a book of poems, and several books of criticism. He frequently reviews new fiction for The New York Times Book Review. Two of his books have been named New York Times Notable Books of the Year, and he has been awarded two National Endowment for the Arts fellowships. He was born and grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and now lives in the mountains of northern Colorado, where he is affiliated with the Center of the American West at the University of Colorado. His novels are often but not exclusively set in the historical American west. He believes that the novel is an art form designed to both entertain and discomfort readers, and that its ultimate goal is to undermine our complacency while bringing us news of the world. Dzanc Books,a non-profit publisher dedicated to literary works, has just brought bring his first four novels back into print in their reprint series as e-books.