Mikal Gilmore was born on February 9, 1951 in Portland, Ore, and attended Portland State University. He chronicles his life's history in Shot in the Heart, which also tells the story of his brother, Gary Gilmore, a convicted murderer whose execution by firing squad in 1979 drew national attention. (It was the subject of Norman Mailer's book The Executioner's Song, which was later adapted as a film.) Gilmore is known professionally as a writer for Rolling Stone magazine for more than 20 years. His book, Night Beat: Collected Writings on Rock & Roll Culture and other Disruptions, contains fascinating descriptions of the people and places in the rock music industry that he has seen. This book… draws together two decades of criticism, interviews, reviews, and personal views of the living history of rock music.