Tony Wirt was born in Lake Mills, Iowa, and got his first taste of publication in first grade, when his essay on Airplane II: The Sequel appeared in the Lake Mills Elementary School’s Creative Courier. He’s a graduate of the University of Iowa and spent nine years doing media relations in the Hawkeye Athletic Department. He’s also been a sportswriter, movie ticket taker, and Dairy Queen ice cream slinger who can still do the little curly thing on top of a soft serve cone. He lives in Rochester, Minnesota with his wife and two daughters.