Keith Vlasak
Author | Sandusky, Ohio USA
I go back a long ways. Born in 1950, I started sending out my stories in 1964. My first published stories were in the early 70's. In the 80's, I placed hundreds of poems and dozens of "literary" stories and reviews, and a few history essays in the 'small press.' In the 90's my love for fantas.... more
I go back a long ways. Born in 1950, I started sending out my stories in 1964. My first published stories were in the early 70's. In the 80's, I placed hundreds of poems and dozens of "literary" stories and reviews, and a few history essays in the 'small press.' In the 90's my love for fantasy and science fiction finally started paying off as I started selling [for money!] genre stories (fantasy, science fiction, horror and suspense). Literary publications paid in copies in all but two token payment cases. Along the way, I've studied under a lot of good people. In college there was particularly Robert C. Mallett, William Hedrington, and A McA. Miller. Three who gave me a lot of encouragement at the CSU Imagination Workshop in 1999 were Ted Deppe, Karen Joy Fowler, and Tim Powers.
Still, it's easy to get distracted in life — and I did. When I started selling stories regularly, I set writing/submitting stories aside to write 'my novel,' several times — and still love that immersion best! One of those efforts was the 'too-short'-according-to-mainstream-publishers Epiphany. I think you will find it moving.
Meanwhile, I've been a musician and song writer performing in garages and coffee houses, a painter, a house painter, an award winning photographer, computer programmer, a farm laborer through high school, a ride-operator at Cedar Point Amusement Park, a tree trimmer in Florida, dish washer, several times self-employed, a convenience store manager, retail supervisor and just about everything else over the years.
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a list of writing credits can be found at:
http://www.oac.state.oh.us/search/writers/Writer.asp?ID=560