Ari Berk

Dr. Ari Berk is a writer, visual artist, folklorist/mythologist, teacher, screenwriter, and film consultant. Professor of Myth and Folklore at Central Michigan University, his publications include works on myth and ancient cultures, as well as popular books for both children and adults. Ari's most recent titles are Death Watch, Mistle Child and Lych Way (The Undertaken Trilogy) that the School Library Journal called "reminiscent of the classic gothic works of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Shirley Jackson"; Nightsong (illustrated by Loren Long); and The Secret History of Giants (winner of a NCTE Notable Award). Two of Ari's book projects have been optioned for film by major studios: Goblins! (Disney) and The Secret Histories series (Sony Pictures Animation). Ari holds degrees in Ancient History and American Indian Studies, as well as a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and Culture. He has studied at Oxford University in England and, at the University of Arizona, was mentored by Pulitzer Prize-winning author N. Scott Momaday. Ari and his wife, Renaissance scholar Dr. Kristen McDermott co-authored William Shakespeare-His Life and Times, which won the British School Library Association's Children's Choice Award for best non-fiction book in the UK. They live with their son at the edge of a wood in the heart of Michigan.