M. T. Anderson grew up in a small town outside of Boston. He spent much of his childhood walking in the woods, sitting, standing, and lying down. Also in those years he started writing, which at that point in history meant holding a sort of ink-stick in one hand and wiggling it around on paper. His handwriting was so bad that he was asked to stop. Shortly thereafter, he began typing.

Since then, he has typed music reviews, stories for literary journals, and picture books. He has typed several novels for young people: the National Book Award-winning Printz Honor books The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume 1: The Pox Party and The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves, as well as this title, Feed and Thirsty.

Mr. Anderson’s interest in the Norumbegan language and culture largely derives from a course he took, taught by a grubby man who never took his hat off and who arrived at each session in a different manner—most memorably, delivered by pigeons and riding on giant snail-back. Since then, Mr. Anderson has translated a number of works from the original Norumbegan. These are not, unfortunately, in print yet, all efforts to publish them being frustrated by the intervention of translucent, jackal-headed ninjas.

M. T. Anderson lives near Boston.