After growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, J. Michael Norris moved around the South, from Atlanta to New Orleans to South Florida. He has worked a plethora of jobs, from retail manager to interior designer to veterinary assistant, having earned an A.A. in Interior Design from Delgado Community College and a B.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing from Louisiana State University along the way. Currently living back in Baton Rouge, he just received his M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of New Orleans. Realizing he was Queer at a very young age, he has been an activist for LGBTQ rights throughout his adult life.