John Allen Small has contributed to several popular anthologies, including: "Tales Of The Wold Newton Universe" (2013); "The Avenger: Burning Heart Of The Crucible" (2013); "The Green Hornet: Still At Large" (2012), winner of the 2013 PulpArk Award for Best Anthology/Collection; "The Worlds Of Philip José Farmer 2: Of Dust And Souls" (2011); and the 2005 Locus Award-nominated science fiction anthology "Myths For The Modern Age: Philip Jose Farmer's Wold Newton Universe," edited by Win Scott Eckert. Mr. Small is also the author of two short story collections of his own: a collection of Western short stories entitled "Days Gone By: Legends And Tales Of Sipokni West" (2007); and "Something In The Air" (2011). In addition, he is a contributor to the deluxe hardcover edition of "Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life" (2013), published by Meteor House; and wrote a preface for a new edition of the 1899 science fiction novel "Pharaoh's Broker" (Ethan Books, 2013). His blog can be seen at: http://bardofthelesserboulevards.yolasite.com/blog.phpIn his "day job" he is an award-winning newspaper journalist, columnist and broadcaster whose work has been honored by the Oklahoma Press Association, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Associated Press, the National Newspaper Association, and the Oklahoma Education Association. He and his wife Melissa were married in 1986; they have two sons, Joshua Orrin (born 1991) and William Ian (born 1996).In conjunction with his work on "Myths For Modern Age" he was a guest speaker at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con; he also wrote an article about the 75th anniversary of the 1930s pulp hero Doc Savage for the 2008 Comic-Con program. He has also served as project editor for a book about the JFK assassination entitled "The Men On The Sixth Floor" (also available online); and has either published or posted on the Internet a number of essays, stories and poems. He has won writing awards from the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the National Library of Poetry. At present he is working on putting together another collection of his short stories, and has several new projects at various stages of completion.Mr. Small is the News Editor and columnist for the Johnston County Capital-Democrat, a weekly newspaper headquartered in Tishomingo, OK. He obtained his nickname, "Bard of the Lesser Boulevards," from a journalism colleague - the late Phil Byrum - in recognition of the success of his popular newspaper column, "Small Talk." (In addition to the many awards the column itself has received over the years, a radio version of "Small Talk" earned an award for "Best Small Market Commentary" from the Society of Professional Journalists in 1998.)John was born in Oklahoma City in 1963; lived in the Bradley-Bourbonnais-Kankakee area of Illinois for most of the next 28 years (with brief sojourns in Texas and Athens, Greece, thrown in to break up the monotony); then returned to his native state in 1991, where he currently resides in the Tishomingo/Ravia area. He graduated from Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School in 1981, and received his bachelor's degree in journalism from Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais in 1991. The years between high school and college were a period frought with numerous exploits and misadventures, some of which have become the stuff of legend; nobody was hurt along the way, however, which should count for something.A lifelong fan of The Kingston Trio, The Monkees and The Chieftains, he has been known to hurl heavy objects at people who say they do not like the sound of the banjo, the bagpipes or Michael Nesmith.