Benjamin Minett

Benjamin Thomas Minett was born in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania just in time to witness the death throes of the steel industry. His fondest memories of childhood were listening to his relatives tell stories of how it used to be and catching crayfish and smallmouth in the creek behind his house. His love of stories and culture led him to Allegheny College, Edinboro University, and Carnegie Mellon University. He has stayed local to Western Pennsylvania and now is a high school American Literature teacher in a district south of Pittsburgh. He splits his free time between his family and his creative pursuits, namely music, painting, and writing.

In and Out of the River is a semi-biographical work based on the culture and stories he knew as a boy. It is his first novel.