Born and raised in Detroit, Frederick Smith is a graduate of the University of Missouri Journalism School and Loyola University Chicago. A finalist for the 2004 Pen Center Emerging Voices Fellowship, and a member of the 2004 VONA (Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation at the University of San Francisco), Fred is an advocate for social justice and equality issues. He currently lives in the Los Angeles area. Down For Whatever is his first novel, Readers can contact him at www.fredericksmith.net.