THE AUTHOR: Born in Missouri, P. J. (Paul) Christman found himself in the suburbs of Chicago. Although doing well academically at Maine Township High School, a degree from the University of Illinois and graduate work at the University of Wisconsin had him showing little academic luster. After working in international banking in San Francisco, Christman held nine jobs from mailman to video tape editor at NBC Burbank. He then moved to London, where romps on the Hampstead Heath, as well as subsequent gallops up and down extinct volcanoes in Auckland, New Zealand, inspired him to write The Purple Runner, a prescient story of a sub-two-hour marathon. Next came 23 years in Boulder editing Running Stats, a distance running newsletter. Lastly, he spent three years of substitute teaching and ten years as a librarian at a Santa Fe southside elementary school. The author has completed ten novels (six published), two plays, and numerous magazine articles. P. J. has now retired, still tapping the keys in the New Mexican capital aerie.
