Michael Strecker is a writer from Louisiana. His short fiction has appeared in The Critic, a literary journal that has published some of the country’s most highly regarded writers, including Walker Percy, Flannery O’Connor, and Graham Greene. His fiction has also appeared in the Xavier Review, which has published writers such as Alex Haley and Ernest Gaines. His short story “The Woman at the Well” was selected as a finalist in the Tennessee Williams Festival’s 2021 Fiction Writing Contest. He was also named a Tennessee Williams Festival finalist in 2022. In addition, he is the author of several books for children. He is also an award-winning standup comedian who has performed with some of the country’s top acts, including Ken Jeong, Jake Johannsen, and Brett Butler. He has a BA in journalism from Louisiana State University and an MA in English literature from Tulane University. He lives with his wife, Jillian, and their sons, Stephen and Joseph, in Mandeville, Louisiana.