Michael N.

Michael N. earned his bachelor's degree in English and drama from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio,and attended graduate school at Cleveland State University. He was involved in semi-professional and professional theatre for several years before the reality of raising 4 children necessitated a more reliable source of income. He became an electronic technition in the U.S. Postal Service. Working nights, he attended school full time during the day studying toward a teaching degree, and had several side jobs.

Virginia N. has a master's degree in art education from SUNY, New Paltz and taught for many years in the Newburgh, NY school system. Her husband at the time was also involved in theatre and writing and their house on the lake was the gravitational spot for numerous artists of all types, active participants of the various social changes of the '60s and '70s.

Somewhere in the '80s, those who survived woke up to reclaim their lives as best they could. Virginia and Michael drew support from each other as they witnessed a husband/best friend slide into the depths of alcoholism. The book, HOOT 'n GIN records the first five years of their journey in recovery from alcoholism.

Twenty-nine years and a revolutionary change later, they are married and live 6 months in Tucson, AZ among the mountains they love and the other half-year on their little "farm" outside Cleveland, OH. Michael is retired from the Postal Service and Virginia is an independent chemical dependency counselor and internationally certified alcohol and drug counselor.