Son of a piano-playing mother and a basketball-coaching father, with at least one runaway Missouri slave in the family tree (on the mother's side).  Following undergraduate education, drifted to South America to dodge the Viet Nam draft.  Came back to USA when the dust settled, studied for M.A. in English, then law school, inspired by the likes of Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Thurgood Marshall.  Clerked for a federal judge in Illinois, then off to Australia for adventure and a university teaching gig.  With two notable exceptions, stayed in Australia for 25 years, working as lawyer, writing a weekly newspaper column, studying theology, playing music, managing an organic farm in the Wombat Forest.  The two notable exceptions were several years on Indian reservations in the western USA, working as a legal aid lawyer and living in a trailer park.  Helped Grand Ronde Tribe gain restoration of treaty status with legislation passed in the U.S. Congress.  Helped enforce treaty rights of members of Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (Lakota) and Klamath Tribe of Oregon.  Learned to play bluegrass music from the legendary Mervin Frazier, proud Lakota Indian and ex-Air Force.  Returned to Australia, started bluegrass band The Rank Strangers - three vinyl albums, top five in Australian Country Music Awards two years in a row (nudged out of first place by James Blundell and Smokey Dawson), runner-up in Nashville competition for international bluegrass band of the year (nudged out by great Czech band).  Won two Australian national country gospel awards - best male singer & best composition.  Legal work for Aboriginal clients.  Returned to USA in Y2K to teach at the University of Illinois College of Law - international law, legal writing, ethics, advocacy, civil procedure, indigenous law.  Began writing first of three novels and other fiction/non-fiction.  Houseboating in the Ozarks published by Dufour Editions (fine Pennsylvania publisher) in 2006.  Second novel, Begotten, Not Made, written entirely in free verse in the voice of a demented Brer Rabbit.  Third novel, The Connoisseur of Love, defies description.  Proud father of six children, loving husband of Keziah. Tattoos:  treble clef on left shoulder; bass clef on right calf.