Vit Vanicek hails from Prague, Czech Republic, where he grew up and soaked up the history, legends and half-truths that Europe has to offer. He lives in Illinois and teaches at the University of Illinois at Chicago. While he holds a PhD in AmLit, he never taught it: instead, he has dedicated his career to teaching ESL to internationals seeking degrees in the US, which may be a touch more noble than writing yet another unintelligible critique on Thomas Pynchon. He is passionately in love with his wife, understandably proud of his daughters, and resolutely protective of his free time, in which he dabbles in running, woodworking, writing, and gaming. He used to be an archer, but is more of a proud owner of a bow by now.