Biography

Richard E. Peck is an author, playwright, and retired academic, whose writing career — detoured for years — resumed when he left academe. After a career as an English professor and university administrator — president at one time or another of three universities — he now divides his time among three very satisfying pursuits: restrained meddling in the lives of his children and grandchildren, golfing at a level far below his aspirations, and writing.

Dr. Peck continues to resist persistent but fading desires to return to the classroom. Occasional consulting stints remind him of the political pressures he’s traded away in order to take on the even more demanding but self-imposed goals and deadlines of full-time writing.

Richard E. Peck was born in Wisconsin on August 3rd, 1936. After graduating from high school (at 16) and two years of factory work, he enlisted in the Marine Corps, as a green PFC was selected for flight training, and in June, 1956, was commissioned the youngest officer and pilot in the USMC at age 19. He subsequently completed an A.B. at Carroll College in 30 months, his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin in three years. He taught English at the University of Virginia and Temple University, then filled administrative positions at the University of Alabama and Arizona State, leading to presidencies of ASU, the University of New Mexico, and the University of South Florida.

During those years he committed his time and energies to scholarship, and his popular writing became infrequent. He did manage to complete 12 produced plays (three of them winners in national competitions), a score of short stories, a novel nominated as Best Science Fiction Novel of the Year (Final Solution, Doubleday), and TV scripts, as well as two editions of minor poetry.

Dr. Peck is a member of Screen Writers Guild of America (West) and has contributed occasional columns to a number of newspapers. He lives in Placitas, NM, where he takes the 16 steps from his bed to his word processor every day and sits, telling stories, until the gorgeous New Mexico sunsets distract him.