Jim Dodge is Professor Emeritus of Humboldt State University's Writing Practices Program, where he still teaches half-time. After 40 years of living deep in the Coast Range of northern California, first on the headwaters of the Gualala River and later in the Smith River watershed, he recently moved into town with his wife, Victoria, and their herd of dogs.  A few years ago, Jim represented the U.S. at the International Literary Festival in Paraty, Brazil. Although he enjoys international recognition for his work (his novels have been translated into 22 languages), he steadfastly resists the trappings—and traps—of notoriety, claiming, “I only want to be famous for five miles.”  In addition to teaching and writing, Jim has worked variously as an apple picker, carpet layer, shepherd, professional poker player, woodcutter, bookstore clerk, co-founder of an environmental consulting business, and member of a forest workers’ cooperative where he planted trees, built structures for erosion control, removed logjams from small streams, ran habitat surveys, and generally applied himself to whatever grunt labor was at hand.