About the Author
C. Michael Byrne
C. Michael Byrne is the eldest of nine children from a working-class family in Henderson, Kentucky, who grew up inspired by books and determined to write. In high school, he won a state speech contest and a trip to Washington, D.C., which led to a job at the local daily newspaper. Byrne earned a master’s degree in journalism from Indiana University, and worked 12 years as a writer and editor at daily newspapers from Florida to Virginia.
Eventually returning to Washington, Byrne served as director of news and publications for the AFL-CIO, the national federation of labor unions, then as an executive at public relations firms developing communications strategies and campaigns for labor, education, and progressive political groups.
A four-year commitment to military service provided the entry to other cultures and people, and the impetus for his first novel. Trained as a Chinese and Vietnamese linguist with the U.S. Air Force, Byrne served aboard air reconnaissance missions along the coast of China and over Vietnam, Laos and the Gulf of Tonkin.
His tour of the Far East, especially time in Taiwan, sparked an interest in Chinese culture and philosophy, leading to a 35-year pursuit of the Taoist martial arts, particularly Tai Chi and qigong, which play a central role in his first novel, The Return Trip.
Byrne starts each day practicing these healthful breathing and internal energy exercises at home in Virginia. He is inspired by his wife, Terry, and five amazing children.
Michael Byrne the blogger emerged from a career in labor advocacy, using an online platform to promote working-class issues and values, and to elevate democracy at work. Keeping Time is a personal testament to the value (and values) of labor, with occasional forays into the author’s personal life and times.
Years later, with The New Dharma Bums, Byrne explored the healing power of the Taoist martial arts and their integrative philosophies, prospecting a literary vein pioneered by Jack Kerouac and other Beat writers. This is the journey that helped inform his novel, The Return Trip.
Recent posts, in both blogs, expand the conversation about current events, overcoming addiction using internal energy and meditation, and background on his upcoming novel. Byrne invites readers to comment and share their personal experiences.
