Melvin is a writer, editor, and artist who has published pieces of art, poetry about goats, and literary criticism. He spent over a decade in the bonkers echo-chamber of academia as a scholar and teacher of composition and literature. Now, he’s more than happy to be writing about cats and dogs, hiking and kayaking in North Carolina, going to concerts, and giving it everything he’s got on stage at karaoke.

<strong>Full Name:</strong> Melvin Peña

<strong>Location:</strong> I bounce like a ping-pong ball between Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina.

<strong>Where You Can Find Me on the Internet:</strong> <a href="http://about.me/melvinpena">http://about.me/melvinpena</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/kittenry">@kittenry</a> on Twitter.

<strong>What I Do for a Living:</strong> Writer, Editor.

<strong>What I Do for Fun:</strong> Hike, sing karaoke, and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kittenry/collections/72157626855860992/">create visual art</a>.

<strong>The Furry Members of My Household Are:</strong> The dog, Idris (named jointly for actor Idris Elba and Suranne Jones's character in "Doctor Who"), the cat, Klesko (named for a former Atlanta Braves first baseman), and three feathered friends, the chickens, Bob, Betty, and Becky (named for no one in particular).

<strong>My Favorite Things to Write About Are:</strong> Eighteenth-century British literature, “Doctor Who,” music, North Carolina, and the process of making art.

<strong>My Pet Peeves Are:</strong> Commercial breaks, spotty internet connections, people who talk incessantly during concerts, and drivers who don’t use their headlights during rainstorms.

<strong>My Guilty Pleasures Are:</strong> I don’t believe in guilty pleasures. I am pleased to celebrate anything that brings me joy, whether that is season one of “The OC,” donuts filled with pudding, or yacht rock.

<strong>How I Deal with Cat/Dog Hair:</strong> While I’m very fond of them, I'm also allergic to cats, so I immediately and thoroughly wash my hands and change shirts after playing with them, and try very hard not to touch my eyes or face before doing so. I’m not allergic to dogs, so if I find hair on my clothes after taking Idris for a walk, I just wash them, which I do anyway.

<strong>What I Want to Be When I Grow Up:</strong> Happy.