Don Rearden grew up on the tundra of southwestern Alaska. He is a produced screenwriter and published poet. Rearden lives in the mountain community of Bear Valley, Alaska, and is an assistant professor of developmental studies at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, where he shows young writers how to develop their creative voices. His experiences with the Yup'ik Inuit culture shape his writing, and he considers the Alaskan wilderness to be a major influence in his work.
