John Mauk grew up on the Ohio flatland, a stone’s throw from both Michigan and Indiana. He taught college writing courses for twenty-four years. During his academic career, he developed several widely used textbooks, worked with teachers around the country, and was twice elected professor of the year. After first reading Gabriel Garcia Marquez, he pivoted to fiction. His stories have appeared in journals such as Salamander, Arts and Letters, The Forge, New Millennium Writings, Main Street Rag, and The Dunes Review; his nonfiction in Rumpus, Beatrice.com, Writer’s Digest, and various anthologies. He has two full-length story collections, Field Notes for the Earthbound and Where All Things Flatten. He has judged for national writing contests, consulted for publishers, and read for magazines. He currently hosts Prose from the Underground, a free video series for active writers.