Michael Kardos co-directs the creative writing program at Mississippi State University. His short stories were cited as Notable Stories in the 2009 and 2010 editions of Best American Short Stories and have appeared in The Southern Review, Crazyhorse, Prairie Schooner, Pleiades, Blackbird, and many other magazines and anthologies. Kardos grew up on the Jersey Shore, received a degree in music from Princeton University, and for the next decade played the drums in a number of bands, including Thunder Road, “The Ultimate Tribute to Springsteen.” He has an M.F.A. in fiction from The Ohio State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri. More information can be found at… www.michaelkardos.com.