My father always dreamed of writing a book. He had a remarkable memory right up to his death at age 87, and for 70 of those years he wrote his book. But it never reached paper. Mine did. I was born in November 1926. I was a very active child. (Some say I caused the Great Depression, but they’re wrong.) I came to California from Oklahoma just before Pearl Harbor. (No! I did not cause World War II.) I’m a voracious reader and history buff. My passion is art. I served in the army after WWII and returned to active duty during the war in Korea. After my discharge, I attended the University of California at Berkeley and the Academy of Art in San Francisco. After struggling through some lean years as a door-to-door salesman, my wife, Daisy, and I became successful restaurateurs, and I developed my own business. Throughout all this, I pursued my painting, working in oil, water color, and charcoal. I have cheated death several times, most notably during my military service and in to-the-death bouts with cancer. Twice. Now retired, Daisy and I lead active lives in Southern California where we are near our children. Writing, painting, and keeping up with Daisy keep me as busy as I want to be.

My book, Death of a Paperman, was published in 2009, and has not been on the New York Times best-seller list ever since.