A franco-californien armed with a wok and a word processor, R. Jean Mathieu has hauled sail, served tea, hung beef, sold cell phones, and once even used his own coat as a zip-line sixteen stories above the streets of Hong Kong. He and his wife, Melissa, and daughter, Lyra, keep a good table when not writing side-by-side or chasing trains to the next adventure. You can find Mathieu's award-winning stories in Ecopunk!, Blood on the Floor, RJeanMathieu.com.

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As a Quaker, I am bemused that this is easily the most Quakerly story I've ever sold, despite not a single character being a Friend. “Scars of Satyagraha” started with a call for submissions for an anthology on gender, setting off thoughts of the opposing genders of Real Man and Gentleman, and Sam caught between them. The resulting meditation on ahimsa, violence, gender, bodysurfing, and Mafia movies happened quite naturally. I'm particularly proud of Babuji's nails; they are splendid.