No� Lara was born on a ranch near Austin, the state capital of Texas. He was one of thirteen children born to Mexican immigrants, Don David and Do�a Aurora Lara. The Lara family spent several years in the migrant stream which took them as far north as Wisconsin. They then settled in the South Plains of West Texas where cotton crops were abundant and seasonal work provided a living for large families willing to work. The author attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, and earned both a bachelor and a masters degree in sociology. As an adult, he has worked in Texas, in Washington DC, and in New Mexico. No� and his wife Diana now call Los Lunas, New Mexico, home. In November… 2005, he retired from a career in human services. His last position was as county office manager for the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) and working in the southern part of New Mexico. He works as an adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico Valencia Campus, something he has done since 1996. This is the author's second book. The first book, Cuantas Piscas: A Latino's Lonely Journey to Success, tells his coming-of-age life experiences. In the book, No� Lara describes coming into a world dominated by a culture other than his own. He describes his struggles to assimilate into that culture and the challenges that he faced as he pursued the American Dream. No� many times writes poems to accompany his paintings. He has also created art to go along with his poems. He derives much inspiration from his past experiences as a child protective service worker and as a college professor. His rich Mexican culture and his family life experiences growing up in rural communities, served to enrich his work.