Bret Lott is the author of the novels Ancient Highway, A Song I Knew by Heart, Jewel (an Oprah's Book Club selection), The Hunt Club, Reed's Beach, A Stranger's House, and The Man Who Owned Vermont; and the story collections A Dream of Old Leaves, How to Get Home, and The Difference Between Women and Men; the memoir Fathers, Sons, and Brothers; and the writing guide Before We Get Started. Formerly editor of The Southern Review, he was appointed to the National Council on the Arts in 2006. Bret Lott lives with his wife, Melanie, in Hanahan, South Carolina.