Outskirts Press, INC.

Manuel Vieira Gomes began writing stories at age seven. An avid reader, Manny (as his friends call him) spent his childhood school "recesses" snuggled in the library. By fourth grade, his favorite book was Homer's Odyssey and Iliad. Some of his fondest memories as a boy of ten or eleven were bringing books like Treasure Island and The Hobbit to the cliffs at Big Corona beach in Corona Del Mar, California. Manny would climb up the face of the cliff, find a nice flat spot and alternate between reading and looking out at the ocean. As a young man, Manny joined the United States Air Force, proudly serving his country in Europe and the Middle East. Manny has a B.A. in Cultural Studies (with an emphasis on Asian Culture) from The Evergreen State College (TESC), is an ordained Buddhist Priest under the auspices of the Mugendo Zenkai (and a personal student of its founder; Koro Kaisan Roshi). Manny's published books include How to Experience God, a primer for learning Buddhist meditation and prayer techniques.