Richard Berleth received his Ph.D from Rutgers University in 1970 and is currently Chair of the Communication Arts Department at St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights, New York. Previously he taught English at Pace University and Russell Sage College, was a managing editor for Time/Life Books, a marketing manager for McGraw-Hill, and a senior vice president at Simon & Schuster. His other books include The Twilight Lords: An Irish Chronicle, The Orphan Stone: The Minnesinger Dream of Reich, Samuel's Choice (children's) and Mary Patten (children's).