Dennis Van Norman was born and raised in a river town, St. Paul, Minnesota, and now lives in Maplewood. His childhood included playing in Indian Mounds Park, climbing on the limestone bluffs and cliffs overlooking the Mississippi River, and exploring the caves scattered along the river's banks. He earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Minnesota and the College of St. Thomas. His professional writing has been in the corporate world and includes a business journal publication, writing strategic plans, mission statements, and executive speeches. His writing for fun has included a regular column for a small-town Wisconsin newspaper. The column, Random Shots from a Grassy Knoll, featured different golf courses and the characters that crowded them. He also has published a book of poetry, Courtside Chatter, that covered his daughter Kelly's four years of varsity basketball at Gustavus Adolfus College, earning him a Varsity Athletic Award and Letter as Honorary Poet Laureate. From Minnesota to Mile Zero on the Mississippi-part history, nature, travel, adventure, and memoir-is Dennis' first published book. When he is not traveling, Dennis still enjoys his regular morning walks along the timeless Mississippi River, at the foot of those same bluffs he scrambled about as a boy.
