Poet, essayist, and short story writer, Charles Hood has given readings from Guadalajara to Papua New Guinea.  In UC Irvine's MFA program he studied with Pulitzer Prize-winners Charles Wright and Louise Gluck.  His work often combines history, nature, humor, and a strong narrative line.  His photographs and mixed media art pieces have appeared on book covers and in thirty art shows. He teaches at Antelope Valley College and has been a ski instructor, a dish washer, a factory worker, and a private bird guide in Africa.