I've transplanted from the Middle Atlantic states, where I grew up and which I still love, to the south. I spent four years in Louisiana earning my doctorate and have begun my twelfth year in Arkansas. I'm a college teacher, maybe a cliched profession for a writer, but it suits me. I get to think and talk about what I care about most. I've published over forty short stories in my career, but in recent years I've been working hard on novels. One, called Burnt Norway, I've published on Lulu.com. Another is the Van Gogh novel about which I'm blogging. Last fall (2009) I enjoyed a sabbatical in which I made great progress on the book. But I'm hardly out of the woods yet, and a new semester of full-time teaching duties is upon me. Even so, I enjoy the academic life; I enjoy my hometown; and I love my family. But maybe there's no finer pleasure than writing fiction. Please feel free to contact me about anything. My email: johnv@uca.edu
