Thomas M. Disch was the author of such diverse publications as The Prisoner, The Dreams Our Stuff are Made Of, Camp Concentration, and The Brave Little Toaster. A renowned poet and book critic, Disch's review, criticism, and essays were published in The Nation, Harper's, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and Entertainment Weekly. He received the John W. Campbell and O'Henry awards and the Pushcart Prize. He divided his time between New York City and rural Pennsylvania. Disch committed suicide on July 4th, 2008.