Born in 1933, Carl Dow broke into journalism in 1957. He wrote for such publications as The Globe and Mail, and the late Toronto Telegram and Montreal Star.

This novel, Black Grass, is his second published work of fiction. His first, the critically acclaimed collection of short stories, The Old Man's Last Sauna, was published in 2013. Hot off the press next year will be a coming-of-age novel, Wild Flowers, The Women Who Made McCord Chronicle. And still more exciting reading to come.

While in journalism, he received a number of recognitions, including a nomination for a National Newspaper Award by The Globe and Mail. While writing for national magazines, Carl Dow was listed as one of the top ten writers in the country by Alan Walker, then managing editor of The Canadian, a national magazine with a circulation of 2,000,000.

Carl Dow has edited tabloid and broadsheet dailies and weeklies, and monthly magazines. He has written for television and radio and has been on camera and behind the microphone. As Youth Editor of The Montreal Star he was the first newspaper columnist in North America to praise the then controversial song group, The Beatles. He also worked as associate editor for Harvest House, a privately owned academic publisher.

Outside of journalism and publishing, he has been a farm labourer and worked in new housing construction. Starting as as a clerk for a bakery he learned cost accountancy on the job and secured his license as a professional truck driver. However, his all-time favourite work was the eight years he spent as a part-time school bus driver.

Until recently, he kept his hand in journalism as editor and publisher of True North Perspective and True North Perspective On Second Thought. The online news magazine is currently on hiatus, but is archived at www.truenorthperspective.com.

He is the proud father of two sons, Geoffrey and Thomas, by order of appearance, both of whom are writers and editors in their own right. He doesn't spend much time there, but you might be able to find him on Facebook.

Carl Dow lives in Ottawa. He does not have a cat.