John E. Budzinski is a storyteller. While learning to tell stories in grade school, his unexpected journey into becoming an author didn’t begin until he made an ill-fated attempt to impress a college girlfriend's father, the News Editor of a local Virginia paper.

Believing said father thought of him as a 25-watt bulb in a 100-watt world, John came up with a clever ploy. He wrote two op-ed pieces for the father to expound on the fact, “Well, okay, maybe I’m not the brightest bulb in the box, but I can still shed some illumination.” His little ploy didn't win over the father, but it ignited a passion for writing that never dimmed.

That unexpected beginning led John to write guest op-ed pieces for his local newspaper and then spend five years writing a weekly column for a New Hampshire newspaper, where he shared his curious observations with readers who appreciated his honest, relatable voice. His work has appeared in the Boston Globe, the Quincy, MA Patriot Ledger, the Worcester, MA Telegram & Gazette, The Wyoming Tribune Eagle, The Connecticut Post, and the Waterbury, CT Republican American, among others.

John E. Budzinski is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. He has studied at the University of Bridgeport, Fairfield University, Northeastern University, and pursued Ph.D. work in political science at Temple University. A seasoned traveler and accomplished photographer, he lives near the UNESCO City of Literature, Iowa City, Iowa.

Beyond his roles as sibling, son, uncle, and neighbor, John remains a dedicated storyteller who believes every person has a story worth telling, and every story, the power to create understanding between people, and his mantra, “Good stories are good stories, especially when they remind others of their stories.”