Al McDermid

Al McDermid is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, where he earned a B.A. and M.A. in U.S. History. He wrote his Master's thesis on the first failed attempt to have Hawai'i annexed to the United States following the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy. It was here that he also met his friend and co-author, Aki Liao.

He was born in Michigan, where he lived for most of his childhood. He joined the U.S. Navy upon graduating high school and served aboard three different ships and at the U.S. Naval Station at Subic Bay in the Philippines. He was in Hawai'i when his second tour ended and decided to stay, at least for a time.

After leaving the Navy, he worked at a variety of jobs, including fry cook, baker, disk jockey, electrician's assistant, book seller, editor, teacher, and taxi driver. In addition to Honolulu, he has also lived in Seoul Korea, Fukuoka, Kanagawa, and Tokyo, Japan, Augsburg Germany, San Francisco, as well as New Jersey and New York City, where he and Aki began working on A Halo for Red Betsy.

He now lives in Hilo, Hawaii.