Andrew Smith is an award-winning and bestselling author, well-known for his young adult fiction novels. Growing up, he had always been convinced that he would become a professional novelist. Following his graduation from college, he tried his hand at various journalistic careers, such as working for radio stations and newspapers. However, he never truly enjoyed these jobs as they were not the kind of writing he had always dreamed about doing.
Smith was born with an impulse to travel and has lived in various places around the world. He has worked in a metals mill, as a longshoreman unloading bananas from Central America and imported autos from Japan, in bars and liquor stores, in security, and as a musician. It was only after settling down permanently in Southern California that he began teaching in an alternative educational program for At-Risk teens. Throughout his life, Smith continued to write, but never considered seeking publication until challenged into it by his lifelong friend, author Kelly Milner Halls. In 2008, Smith published his first novel, Ghost Medicine, an ALA/YALSA “Best Books for Young Adults.” This was followed in 2009 with In the Path of Falling Objects, also a BBYA recipient. The Marbury Lens is Smith’s third novel, and he has since published several more books, including Winger, Grasshopper Jungle, The Alex Crow, 100 Sideways Miles, and Rabbit & Robot. His latest book, Exile from Eden: Or, After the Hole, was released on September 24, 2019. Smith currently lives with his wife, two horses, three dogs, three cats, and one irritable lizard named Leo, in a rural mountain location.