Michael Carrier never had a doubt that he would become a writer of fiction. When, as a journalism student in college, his professor required him to write his own obituary, he wrote that when he turned fifty years of age he would begin writing fiction. The professor was not pleased that Michael wanted to delay his career, and so challenged the rationale. Michael simply told him that he would not start writing novels until he had accumulated an appropriate inventory of life experiences.
However, his professor, who happened to be the editor of a national weekly magazine, gave Michael a job writing for him. For two years (while still in college) Michael wrote or edited sometimes up to three articles a week.
Later he edited the Student Association Newsletter at the Graduate School of Hebrew and Cognate Learning (University of Pennsylvania).
From 1993 until 1998 Michael wrote a column that appeared in a few small magazines, and in 2006 he published his first book: “WIND.” It was a compilation of forty of the articles from his column.
In 1998 he founded “Goodschools.Com,” arguably the first real blog on the Internet. On his site he published articles regarding various aspects of education, and provided a forum for his readers to comment. He maintained that blog until 2006. It was at that point he decided to begin writing fiction. And because the blog was such a lightning rod of controversy, he decided to pull it off of the web.
Since that time he has published eight books of fiction, all centered on his main character, Jack Handler, a retired Chicago homicide detective. He is currently working on the ninth: “Assault on Sugar Island–Suicide by Jihad.”
Regarding his comment to his journalism professor that he would not begin writing fiction until he had built up an adequate inventory of life experiences–he has definitely honored that commitment.
Michael has at different times in his life driven truck throughout the US, hustled pool and gambled poker from Texas to Montana, traveled the country hitchhiking, spent five years in Greenwich Village’s East Side, delivered diamonds in New York’s diamond district (disguised as a down-and-outer), tended bar at a New York nightclub, climbed dozens of water towers throughout the US, panned gold, skydived, and worked for over two decades in private security. Oh, and yes, it is true–Mike and his wife did drop in on the Woodstock concert. It was, however, totally by accident. They had been backpacking in the mountains nearby and wondered about all the commotion.
Michael holds a Master of Arts degree from NYU, and has done an additional two years of postgraduate work at the Dropsie College of Hebrew and Cognate Learning in Philadelphia.
One of his favorite hobbies is creating intricate puzzles. Since 1992 he has periodically assumed the persona of “Mountain Mike.” As this character, he hides a treasure (which is a ten dollar bill) somewhere around Grand Rapids, Michigan. He then every week publishes puzzles, which contain clues as to the location of the treasure.
When a lucky sleuth finds the treasure, Mountain Mike buys it from him for $1000. So far, since 1992, Mike has rewarded seven such treasure hunters.
Currently Michael lives three seasons with his wife in a house on Lake Superior (His mailing address there is Paradise, MI.). They winter in Grand Rapids, MI.
His list of favorite places or things to do:
* Drinking a doppio con pana at Starbucks (or at any good coffee shop).
* Writing killer novels, of course.
* Exploring caves.
* Dining at a Ruth Crist.
* He has four favorite cities: Paradise (MI), New York City, Grand Rapids (MI), and Paris.
* Writing an inscrutable puzzle (This eccentricity got him in trouble with his first novel. You might want to ask him about that the next time you see him.).
* His favorite TV shows right now are reruns of “The Wire” and “24.” (He admits to occasionally “binge-watching.”).