John McNally is the author of three novels: AFTER THE WORKSHOP, THE BOOK OF RALPH and AMERICA'S REPORT CARD; and two story collections, TROUBLEMAKERS (winner of the John Simmons Short Fiction Award and the Nebraska Book Award) and GHOSTS OF CHICAGO (a Chicagoland Indie Bestseller and voted one of the top twenty fiction books of 2008 by readers of The Believer).

He is also the author of two nonfiction books: THE CREATIVE WRITER'S SURVIVAL GUIDE and the forthcoming VIVID AND CONTINUOUS: ESSAYS ON THE CRAFT OF FICTION, both published the U. of Iowa Press.

He has received fellowships from Paramount Pictures (Chesterfield Writer's Film Project), the U. of Iowa (James Michener Award), and George Washington U. (Jenny McKean Moore Fellowship). He holds degrees from U. of Nebraska-Lincoln (Ph.D.), U. of Iowa (M.F.A.), and Southern Illinois U.-Carbondale (B.A.). A native of Chicago's southwest side, John is an Associate Professor of English at Wake Forest University.