Keith Martin-Smith was raised in the closed and self-assured world of Catholicism, but by his early teens felt deeply alienated by it and the suburban America that surrounded him. He started out his college career as a mechanical engineering major, but science only led to more questions and an even stronger sense of separation from the world.  He ended up with a degree in English and minor in journalism, allowing him to work as a freelance writer not bound to a particular location or employer. 

A profound crisis of meaning sent him on an odyssey that spanned 10 years and three cities -- New York, Philadelphia, and Denver. He searched for answers through post-modern philosophy and Bohemia as the esoteric disciplines of Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, Qi Gong, and Vajrayana Buddhsim were reshaping his life.  He spent his 20’s attaining mastery of these arts (and now teaches them), while simultaneously deepening his understanding of literature and philosophy. 

 
In 2006 he took a job as the Marketing Director for Integral Institute, a non-profit think tank founded on the works of the Integral philosopher Ken Wilber.   He left on very good terms in 2007 to pursue his writing and other interests, and still meets on occasion with Ken  and other leaders associated with the larger integral movement.    

He is planning on publishing two additional major works of fiction in the next year as well as a non-fiction book on Northern Shaolin Kung Fu (coming out in April 2010).  Keith currently makes his living as a writer and teacher, and is a senior practitioner of Rinzai Zen under JunPo Dennis Kelly Roshi.  He lives in Boulder, Colorado.