Hastings, Alec W.: - Alec Hastings grew up in the hill country of Vermont when Jersey cows still grazed the pastures and men in denim boiled sap in wood-fired evaporators. His early schooling came from farmers, loggers, and story-telling elders. Eventually, he met some fine teachers and studied creative writing and African American literature. He married, helped raise four children and still resides in the Vermont hills with his beloved wife, Denise Martin.