Born and raised on beautiful Long Island, Michael grew up with a rare eye condition that left him legally blind. Drawing on his experience in seeing the world differently, he attended SUNY Purchase, studying creative writing, literature, and history. In his senior year, an early draft of Vanguards won the creative writing finalist slot in the inter-SUNY Thayer Fellowship competition, which he went on to become one of three winners. Mike’s goal as a writer is to create worlds without limit, where any story with any hero can and will be told.