Ron Carlson is an American novelist and writer of short stories. Carlson was born in Logan, Utah, but grew up in Salt Lake City. He earned a masters degree in English from the University of Utah. He then taught at The Hotchkiss School in Connecticut where he started his first novel. He became a professor of English at Arizona State University in 1985, teaching creative writing to undergraduates and graduates, and ultimately becoming director of its Creative Writing Program. Carlson also taught at the University of California, Irvine. For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron\_Carlson