Brett Gadbois

I was born in the middle of the United States, middle of the 20th Century, the middle of three boys, in the middle of the night.

That’s where the middling stops.

Growing up in Minnesota my childhood was idyllic. I chased Monarch butterflies, caught painted turtles and tiger salamanders. I roamed green hills with my brothers in search of adventure.

At eleven, I began to read in earnest, devouring any book that crossed my path. I kept a journal during my teenage years and filled it with pages of awkward yearnings and unrequited love.

After leaving home I plunged into music, learning saxophone, clarinet and piano. I played western swing, R&B, rock and roll and jazz. I wrote over three hundred songs and had some frustrating near-misses. Joe Cocker’s manager, Carlos Santana and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins were interested but eventually passed.

I began to write prose in earnest, penning an adult novel and over fifty short stories. A number of these stories have been published in various literary journals.

After putting off having a family for a number of years, my wife and I had a son. Before long, I began to read to him. We worked our way through the classics; Wind in the Willows, The Wizard of Oz and Huckleberry Finn. As I did this a wonderful notion occurred to me—why not? I began to write what became a series: The Cellar Door, Into the Painting and Between the Pages.

Besides writing, love to garden, cook and spend time with my son and girlfriend. I am a practicing ordained zen monk and play piano and sing at assisted living and memory care facilities in the Pacific Northwest.