Robert L. Dean, Jr. spent three decades in the music business and worked at The Dallas Morning News for 20 years before returning to his native Kansas. He has published three books of poetry, including, besides those already mentioned, "The Aerialist Will Not Be Performing: ekphrastic poems and flash fictions to the art of Steven Schroeder," 2020, Turning Plow Press. He has been published in many literary journals, such as Sheila-Na-Gig online, MacQueen's Quinterly, The Ekphrastic Review, Suisan Valley Review, Flint Hills Review, and others, and is a multiple Pushcart, Best of the Net, and Orison nominee. He listens to music while he writes. He has many hats (literally), and enjoys chess and backgammon when he gets the chance. He studied music composition with Dr. Walter Mays at Wichita State University, and has performed with B.W. Stevenson, Bo Didley, Jerry Hahn, The Dallas Jazz Orchestra, Kenny Rankin, and many others. He has written two symphonies, two string quartets, a piece for prepared piano and tenor, a big band samba, a performance piece for small ensemble, jazz songs, and others, which have been performed.