Brett Riley (writer)

Riley was born in Topeka, Kansas, during his father's service in the United States Air Force. His family lived briefly in Austin, Texas, before moving to Crossett, Arkansas.

In 1994, Riley earned a BA in English from the University of Arkansas-Monticello. He completed his MA at the University of Louisiana-Monroe in 1997 and his PhD in Contemporary American Fiction and Film in 2006.

Since 1995, Riley has worked in higher education. He taught at the University of Louisiana-Monroe (1995–1998), Louisiana State University (1998–2004, 2006), Baton Rouge Community College (2004–2006), and the University of Alabama (2006–2012). He currently teaches creative writing, American literature, and composition as a tenured professor at the College of Southern Nevada.

In 2013, Ink Brush Press published Riley's collection of linked short stories, The Subtle Dance of Impulse and Light.[1]

In 2014, his screenplay Candy's First Kiss won third place overall at the London Film Awards Screenwriting Competition. The screenplay was adapted from his short story An Element of Blank, first published in The Evansville Review.[2]

Riley's debut novel, Comanche: A Novel, was published by Imbrifex Books in September 2020.[3] and was generally well received.[4][5]

Riley lives in Henderson, Nevada, with his wife and daughter.

• Official website