John M. Gist's creative nonfiction, short stories, and poems have/will appeared in publications such as Poetry Pacific, Stoneboat, Dr. T.J Eckleburg Review, Superstition Review, Gravel, Pithead Chapel, Prick of the Spindle, Left Curve, Academic Questions, New Mexico Magazine and others. He was awarded runner-up in South Loop Review's 2014 National Essay Contest judged by David Shields and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. He recently was named finalist in the 2015 Tucson Book Festival Literary Awards. With an M.F.A from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, he teaches creative writing at sunny Western New Mexico University.