Stephen Stark is the author of the novels Second Son and The Outskirts. Second Son was a New York Times Book Review Notable Book, and a Barnes & Noble Discover New Writers pick. He is also a bestselling ghostwriter. His essays, short stories, and criticism have appeared in The New Yorker, Poets & Writers, The Washington Post and the New York Times Book Review, among other journals. Honors include fellowships from Bread Loaf, where is has also taught, and the National Endowment for the Arts. He lives in Virginia and is a graduate of George Mason University and the writing program at Hollins University.