John Talbird is the author of the novel, The World Out There (Madville) and the chapbook of stories, A Modicum of Mankind (Norte Maar). His fiction and essays have appeared in Ploughshares, Potomac Review, Ambit, Juked, and The Literary Review among many others. His work has been nominated for a Pushcart, Best of the Net, and cited under “Notable Essays” in Best American Essays 2021. He is a frequent contributor to Film International and on the editorial board of Green Hills Literary Lantern. A professor at Queensborough Community College-CUNY, he lives with his wife and their two sons in New York City. You can read more of his writing at johntalbird.com.