ABRAHAM RODRIGUEZ JR.

Author Abraham Rodriguez Jr. is an author well-versed in the hardships of city life. Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, he has opened the doors of inner-city America to the world by writing about an environment he knows best: his own.

Mr. Rodriguez is best known for his books The Boy Without A Flag, a 1993 New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and Spidertown, winner of a 1995 American Book Award, which has also appeared in British, Dutch, German, and Spanish editions. Spidertown has been optioned by Columbia Pictures.

Mr. Rodgriguez's newest novel, The Buddha Book, which will be published by St. Martin's Press, is scheduled for release this year.

His work has appeared in dozens of anthologies and literary magazines including Story, Best Stories from New Writers, Chattahoochie Review, and Alternative Fiction & Poetry. He was the recipient of a grant from the New York Foundation for the Arts in 2000, and he has served as a literary panel member on the NewYork State Council of the Arts.

Mr. Rodriguez's current projects include writing the narration for a film called "Chenrezi Vision," and starting an East-Coast small press named "Art Bridge."