Al Ortolani’s poetry has appeared in journals such as Rattle, New York Quarterly, and Prairie Schooner. His most recent collections are The Taco Boat, published by New York Quarterly Books in 2022, and Swimming Shelter from Spartan Press which was named a Kansas Notable Book for 2021. His novel Bull in the Ring was released by Meadowlark Books in 2023. He is a winner of the Rattle Chapbook Prize and has been featured in Garrison Keillor’s Writer’s Almanac and Ted Kooser’s American Life in Poetry. Ortolani recently directed a memoir writing project for Vietnam veterans in association with the Library of Congress and Humanities Kansas. As a retired high school teacher, he enjoys a life without bells and fire drills. He’s a sucker for auctions and garage sales. Ortolani is a husband, father, and grandfather, currently entertaining the idea of becoming a hermit.