Dan was born in Detroit and grew up in and around Detroit, attending the former East Detroit High School (Go ☘️ Shamrocks); Wayne State University downtown; and later completing his undergrad at Southern New Hampshire University. He finished half of a two-year MFA in creative writing before his VA education benefits finally winked out.
He has worked as a color timer and processor in an automated photo lab; as a stock chaser in a Chrysler stamping plant; and as a warehouse rat on 100-degree summer days. He spent seven years on active U.S. Army duty, mostly as a long-duration undercover Military Police Investigator, serving five years in Germany in two trips.
Most of his civilian work life was spent on staff at and for magazines. He was an As
