An alumnus of Rice University, with graduate degrees from Penn and Buffalo, G. W. Kennedy was a college English professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago. After leaving academia, Kennedy worked as an editor and communications manager for several Chicago companies. He has published a number of short stories as well as articles and essays, including “op-ed” pieces in the Chicago Tribune. He is the author of the Ben Barklee mysteries, Purpose Pitch, Dead Arm, and Save Situation.