Shelby Smoak is a writer and musician. His memoir, Bleeder (Michigan State University Press), received praise from sources as diverse as the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Library Journal, and Glamour, and has won several awards, including “Best of the Best” by the American Library Association. He was also featured on local TV and radio, including NPR.  Shelby has been touring as a musician since the 1990s. He recently appeared on NPR with his band Bleeder. Awarded a Pen/American grant for writers living with HIV, Smoak holds a Ph.D. in literature and an M.A. in English. He works as an advocate and education specialist for BioMatrix Specialty Pharmacy. He lives, writes, and plays music in the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia.