Michael Paul Smith was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His model-making skills are the accumulation of numerous jobs he has had, including textbook illustrator, wallpaper hanger, housepainter, and architectural model maker. He lives in New England. Gail K. Ellison teaches at the University of Florida College of Medicine, works as Writer-in-Residence with the Shands Arts in Medicine program, and offers workshops for caregivers and students.