John Stewart was born in Trinidad and educated at California State University, Stanford University, and the University of California in Los Angeles. His short stories have appeared in, among other places, The Faber Book of Contemporary Caribbean Short Stories (1990) and Best West Indian Short Stories (London: Nelson, 1981). He is a recipient of a Royal Society of Literature Award for Last Cool Days. Currently he is professor and director of African American and African Studies, University of California, Davis.