The Short Bio…

John Claude Bemis is the award-winning author of six middle-grade novels, a picture book, and the forthcoming Rodeo Hawkins graphic novel series. A former elementary school teacher, John earned his Master’s of Education in Literacy from UNC Chapel Hill and taught fourth and fifth grades for thirteen years. He received the Excellence in Teaching Award from UNC-Chapel Hill for his work as an author-presenter in schools and served as North Carolina’s Piedmont Laureate for Children’s Literature, promoting literacy and the literary arts. A popular instructor and inspiring guide to writers of all ages—kids, teens, and adults— he teaches creative writing workshops and leads retreats around the world. Beyond the creative expression of writing, John is also a sculptural mask-maker, a songwriter, and musician. He lives with his wife and daughter in Hillsborough, North Carolina.

Credit: Gabrielle Col

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The Long Bio…

I grew up in a swampy corner of North Carolina called Pamlico County. Yes, I’ve been bitten by a water moccasin, but fortunately not by an alligator. When you live in a county with just one stoplight, you learn how to entertain yourself. As a kid, I read tons of fantasy and sci-fi books, played in abandoned barns, swam in the Neuse River when the jellyfish weren’t too thick, and rounded up all the available nerds to play Dungeons and Dragons.

I started on classical violin when I was eight. By middle school as I got into rock music, I learned how to play guitar. By high school I was playing in a youth orchestra as well as in rock bands with awesomely terrible names like the New Rotics and Big Bang.

I come from a long line of public school teachers, so I followed the family tradition. I attended UNC-Chapel Hill as a NC Teaching Fellow where I studied Art History and Elementary Education. I was a teacher for 13 years, mostly 4th and 5th grades as well as being a Gifted Education resource teacher. In the classroom, I got the chance to teach the books I loved so much as a kid and discovered a lot of incredible new children’s literature along the way.

My passion for reading grew into a passion for writing, especially creating fantastical stories that I imagined my students would love. I’m drawn to myths, legends, fairy tales, and all sorts of stories with magic and adventure. My first series, the Clockwork Dark Trilogy, was inspired by my desire to write epic fantasy based on American legends and Southern folklore. The first book in that trilogy, The Nine Pound Hammer, has frequently been on Battle of Books lists. For The Prince Who Fell from the Sky, I drew on everything from creation myths, post-apocalyptic end-of-the-world science fiction, and Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. In my Out of Abaton duology — which includes The Wooden Prince and Lord of Monsters — I took medieval legends like the secretive king Prester John and the alchemists’ search for eternal life to put a new spin on the story of Pinocchio. I have fun playing with old stories by putting my own unusual twist to create adventures that will hopefully keep readers of all ages on the edge of their seats.

My latest book, Rodeo Hawkins & the Daughters of Mayhem, will be my first graphic novel and the start of a new series. I’m a huge fan of comics and illustrated stories, in particular Amulet, The Lumberjanes, and the works of William Joyce, so it’s been thrilling to try my hand at this different approach to storytelling. I generally like my fantasy adventures with a heavy helping of laughs, so with the Rodeo Hawkins series, I leaned into the comedy. Originally, I had aspirations of illustrating it. Thank goodness my editor politely declined my offer. And thank goodness we found the supremely talented Nicole Miles to bring the pictures to life.

Even though I’m no longer in the classroom, I still love teaching. I’m fortunate to work with kids and teens doing school visits that inspire a love for writing and reading. I also teach adults writing all types of fiction—through writing workshops held in-person everywhere from the south of France to the Southern Appalachians as well as virtually to students around the world over Zoom.

I was honored to receive the Excellence in Teaching Award from UNC-Chapel Hill for my work as an author-presenter in schools. I’ve also served as North Carolina’s Piedmont Laureate for Children’s Literature, promoting literacy and the literary arts. As a proud member of the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), I enjoy supporting others who are creating stories for young readers.

Being creative has always been an important part of my life. Besides writing, I’ve played music with a band called Hooverville for several decades, where I sing, play guitar and accordion, and write many of our songs. We even put out a couple of albums. Here’s our website if you want to hear what we sound like: Hooverville. If you listen to the audiobooks for The Nine Pound Hammer and the Clockwork Dark series, you’ll hear me playing the music that accompanies the narration.

I also create visual art, in particular making sculptural masks inspired by Southern folklore and woodland mythology. They’re created primarily with papier-mâché, airdry clay, and all sorts of found objects. To see my masks, you can check out my art website: StudioBemis.

I love to travel and get lots of ideas wherever I go. I’ve been to samurai palaces in Japan, hiked among wild mountain gorillas in Rwanda, stood atop glacier waterfalls in the midnight sun of Iceland, and been knee-deep in the mud of a Costa Rican rainforest. My favorite place in the world is Italy, and my family spends time there almost every year. We just never get tired of all there is to discover and experience—and eat!—in Italy.

I live in Hillsborough, North Carolina, a small town with a shocking number of famous writers, artists, and musicians. My family includes my wife, my daughter, and our mayhem-loving cats. When I’m not teaching, traveling, or doing something artsy, I’m usually wandering the woods that surround our house along the banks of the Eno River. It’s a dreamy life. I feel pretty lucky.