Theodore Markus was born in Albany, New York. A severe speech disorder dominated his early childhood. By the time he was twelve, his speech had improved but the emotional and social scars lingered. This experience lead him to acquire a degree in Speech-Language Pathology and work with learning-disabled students, students with Autism, and adults with strokes. The character "Jason" in his novel is a composite of Mr. Markus' experiences and those of the many students and patients he treated.