“A treasure trove. Warm, engaging,
and profoundly faith filled-perfect
for public readings or family gatherings
at Christmas time.”

-Rev. Dr. Ansley Coe Throckmorton, President,
Bangor Theological Seminary

About Steven Burt

Steve Burt's life reads like one of his stories; it's a good life, a genuine life, with plenty of plot to make it really interesting.

Since 1979 Steve has been a pastor, church consultant, seminary professor, church executive, and very popular church keynote speaker, mixing humor and stories in with his teaching and becoming affectionately known as the Garrison Keillor of the small church. Through it all he has kept writing. He writes to make people think, to make them feel, and to move them. Toward that end, several hundred of his stories have been published - including one in Chicken Soup for the Single's Soul - many have received literary awards and mentions, and he has ten complete books currently in print.

As a child he was up before the rooster-literally, since he was raised on a dairy farm in rural New York-and was delivering milk from the running board of his dad's truck before being dropped off at school. After school it was farm chores, in addition to studying, getting his story, "Two Rabbits," published in a high school magazine when he was in the second grade, founding a neighborhood newspaper, and going on to become a star athlete.

Graduating high school, complete with academic and sports honors and having edited the school newspaper, Steve went into the Navy for a four-year hitch. He wrote for the ship newsletter, continued to excel at sports, and, in 1969, in the middle of his Navy stint, Steve married his high school sweetheart, Jo Ann. The next year their daughter, Wendy, was born.

After the Navy it was back to school, where Steve earned an undergrad degree in English, with a focus on writing fiction. He also founded the school's literary magazine, which received the Columbia Scholastic Press Award and gained him a scholarship that helped him finish his undergraduate studies. While doing all this, he was working 28 hours a week as the sole support of the family, taking a full load of classes and being a husband and father.

In 1983 Steve received a Masters Degree from Bangor Theological Seminary. During his four years there, he wrote prodigiously and was jokingly described as publishing more than most of the faculty. In 1987 he completed a four-year doctorate program in three years and graduated at the top of his class at Andover Newton Theological School. His thesis became a best-selling church leadership book, and continues to sell well to this day.

In addition to heartfelt stories, like those in Unk's Fiddle and A Christmas Dozen, Steve also loves to write stories that chill the spine in the tradition of H.P. Lovecraft, Arthur Machen and M. R. James. Not what you might expect from your average Reverend Doctor Pastor/author. But somehow it's right on target for Steve Burt. What's next? Stay tuned.