Tim Tingle is an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and a frequent speaker at tribal events. His great-great grandfather, John Carnes, walked the Trail of Tears in 1835, and memories of this family epic fuel his writing and telling. Author of six books, Tingle was a featured speaker at the Native American wing of the Smithsonian Institute in 2006 and 2007. At the 2008 American Library Association Conference in Anaheim, California, he performed on the multi-ethnic concert, “Many Voices, One Nation.” His first book, Walking the Choctaw Road, is a fictional depiction of tribal history covering two centuries, and his upcoming children’s book, Saltypie, is a family tale of 20th century Indian struggles and triumphs. Tingle’s first children’s book, Crossing Bok Chitto, was an Editor’s Choice in the New York Times Book Review and won the 2008 American Indian Youth Literature Award. Tim has co-authored three books with Doc Moore, Spooky Texas Tales and Texas Ghost Stories: Fifty Favorites for the Telling, both from Texas Tech Press, with More Spooky Texas Tales scheduled for a 2010 release. “The Lady Who Changed,” from Spirits Dark and Light (August House) won 2007 Best Short Story from Storytelling World magazine. Tingle has also completed eleven speaking tours for the U.S. Department of Defense, performing for children and military personnel in Germany. He currently teaches an onsite summer storytelling course through the university, “Oral Literature of the Southwest.”