Editing Dan Simmons (section)

==Biography==
Born in [[Peoria, Illinois]], Simmons started writing stories as a child with the goal of mesmerizing his audience with his story telling.<ref>{{Citation |last=alex@bookbanter.net |title=BookBanter Episode 004 - An Interview With Dan Simmons |url=http://archive.org/details/BookBanterEpisode004-AnInterviewWithDanSimmons |access-date=2024-04-24}}</ref> Simmons received a [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A.]] in English from [[Wabash College]] in 1970 and, in 1971, a [[Masters in Education]] from [[Washington University in St. Louis]].<ref name="biog">{{cite web | url=http://dansimmons.com/about/bio.htm | title=About Dan: Biographic Sketch | website=dansimmons.com | access-date=14 June 2018 | archive-date=4 June 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180604180901/http://dansimmons.com/about/bio.htm | url-status=dead}}</ref> 

He soon started writing short stories, although his career did not take off until 1982, when, through [[Harlan Ellison]]'s help, Simmons was invited to the Milford workshop, which Ellison considered to be "the best SF writing workshop in the world".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title="Something Only Your Soul Knew" – Wabash Magazine |url=https://blog.wabash.edu/magazine/2020/01/09/something-only-your-soul-knew/ |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=blog.wabash.edu}}</ref> Simmons considered Ellison as a mentor, friend, and the reason he pursued writing full-time.<ref name=":1" /> Simmons' short story "[[Prayers to Broken Stones#"The River Styx Runs Upstream"|The River Styx Runs Upstream]]" was published and awarded first prize in a ''[[Twilight Zone Magazine]]'' story competition, and he was taken on as a client by Ellison's agent, Richard Curtis. Simmons's first novel, ''Song of Kali'', was released in 1985.<ref name="biog" />  

He worked in elementary education until 1989.<ref name="biog" />

He lives in [[Longmont, Colorado]] {{As of|2007|lc=y}}.<ref>{{cite news |last=Evans |first=Clay |date=February 7, 2007 |title=Myth and madness in the frozen north |work=[[Daily Camera|Boulder Daily Camera]] |publisher= |url=http://www.dailycamera.com/archivesearch/ci_13073336 |access-date=December 2, 2023}}</ref>