Dennis Ecklund

Dennis Ecklund was born in a motel room a stone's throw away from the Rio Grande River in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Dec. 1, 1946. He lost his father at an early age. He worked nights as a dishwasher to help support his mother and younger sister at age 13. He’s worn many hats since then. Among other things, he knows how to shoe a horse, scrape a boat, repair any old Volkswagen, short-order cook, machine anything, edit a newspaper, run a photo darkroom, and design a magazine. “Nowadays I take care of my wife and three cats,” Ecklund said. “I grow tomatoes when it’s warm enough, and when there’s time, I write.”