Michael Thomas

I was born and raised in the Ozark Mountains in Stone County, Arkansas near the beautiful Blanchard Springs Cavern and the surrounding National Forest. The natural scenery of the area where I grew up influences my writing heavily. I worked in the public water business in Mountain View and Richwoods, Arkansas for seventeen years until I finished my master's in English in 2001. In 2005, I began teaching composition and literature at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home. I have written poetry since I can remember. Writing is a hobby, and it is a habit. I am not sure that I could stop doing it. I live now in Salem, Arkansas with my wife Kellie, who is also an English teacher at ASUMH. We have five children in our blended family, eight grandchildren, and a dog. I am an avid reader, I love listening to all types of music, and I enjoy hiking when the weather is not too hot and the snakes and ticks aren't out. That's about it.