Fred Setterberg is the coauthor, with Lonny Shavelson, of Toxic Nation, Under the Dragon: California's New Culture, and five other books, including the award-winning The Roads Taken: Travels Through America's Literary Landscapes. He has been a staff writer for the East Bay Express and editor of Travelers' Tales America, and has written for the New York Times, The Nation, and scores of other national and regional magazines. He lives in Oakland, California.