ANNE MCCLARD is an anthropologist who was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1961. Throughout her life she has lived all over the mainland United States, including: Colorado, Virginia, Montana, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and California. Having moved frequently during her childhood, she developed a strong interest in cultural differences within the continental United States, and to fit in, she honed her observational skills. Her early life influenced her decision to become a cultural anthropologist. In addition to people watching, she has wide ranging interests that include painting, drawing, playing bluegrass music with her friends and writing songs. She spent most of her professional life working in the technology industry as a design ethnographer, and in that capacity did research throughout the world. Butterfly Dreams is a novel inspired by research she did in the Azores for her doctoral dissertation at Brown University. She currently resides in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, daughter, mother, and two dogs.