Clifford BeckA native of Upstate New York, Clifford Beck received the bulk of his education at the State University of New York at Albany. His writing began with experiments in poetry, inspired by ancient literature. Later, he attended Southern Maine Technical Colege, earning a degree in New Media. His work is largely an exploration into human darkness and the dynamics of madness. Having a background in design and illustration, he also creates the cover art for his novels. Now a resident of Portland, Maine, he tends to write what speaks to him the loudest, occasionally relying on music for inspiration. But, ideas have always come to him during the most unlikely of situations and is always with pen and pad at the ready. During the course of his life, he has been seen as someone in possession of a rather peculiar personality, but has come to accept this as a commonality among writers in general and an expression of what makes the mind of a writer tick. He has most of his life in the helping professions and has witnessed a good deal of human suffering. Using his work as a tool of reflection, he brings these experiences to the surface in the form of ideas pertaining to social issues and the direction the world appears to be taking. Additionally, having renounced Christianity, Mr. Beck has discovered that without the constraints of religion, he is able to paint the darkness of human nature on a much broader canvas. And using a strong sense of visual imagery, is able to bring his novels to life, immersing the reader in a world governed by a unique and separate reality. Read More Read Less