John Andrew Fredrick was born in Richmond, VA and grew up in Santa Barbara, CA.  He has published four comedic novels and one book on the early films of Wes Anderson.  His poems have appeared in Artillery, Angels Flight West, and Santa Barbara Magazine.  He is the principal songwriter/singer for an indie rock band called the black watch that has released twenty-two albums to considerable underground acclaim, including Rolling Stone and The LA Weekly which dubbed the band "a national treasure."  Having retired from teaching English Lit and Writing About Film at such schools as USC, LMU, and UCSB, Fredrick splits his time between London and Los Angeles where he teaches tennis for beginners.