William J. Jackson grew up in Rock Island, Illinois. After studying and traveling extensively in India, he continued his research of Indian traditions and languages at Harvard, where he earned his PhD in Comparative Study of Religion. During his thirty-five years as a university professor he wrote academic studies and several books about South Indian singer-saints and South Indian culture and taught courses about Asian traditions. His love of storytelling led to him publishing a historical novel set in India, The Singer by the River, as well as other coming-of-age fiction. Bill lives in Leverett, Massachusetts with his wife, Marcia Plant Jackson.
