Born in Virginia, ROBERT HARTLEY began drawing and telling stories at age four and never really stopped, having written and published poetry and worked as a freelance artist.The author was hospitalized following an airplane crash in 1972, sustaining multiple injuries. He served two years as chair of an advisory board to the Virginia Department of Rehabilitation, traveling the country, speaking for the disabled. From Virginia Commonwealth University he was awarded a Master of Science degree in 1980.The origin and nature of the English language, always a source of inspiration, had fascinated him for years.An autobiography was begun in the 1980s which was re-worked into several books. Hartley… wanted to go deeper. Only the first of the books remained unwritten. Childhood was started in 1991 and roughly completed by 1995. When additional medical problems were treated and corrected the work was finished.The author lives with his wife Sarah, and is currently engaged upon completion of his second book, The Long Walk.