Alexander McGrath is the pen name of Francis R. Demateis, a former teacher and insurance executive whose second act as a writer has been a personal renaissance. He writes fiction, memoir, and travel-inspired essays drawn from his extensive global adventures. A graduate of UC Santa Barbara, he belongs to several online writing groups and enjoys the challenge of short-form storytelling. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife of fifty years and their Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Jester.