Keith S. Folse

I’ve always been fascinated by two things: LANGUAGES and TRAVEL.

I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and raised on the nearby Mississippi Gulf Coast. As a kid, I noticed differences between the way people around me spoke and the way people on TV spoke. Where I grew up, people said things like *boocoo* (from French *beaucoup*) for “many,” *neutral ground* for “the median in a road,” and *I want my po-boy dressed* for “a sandwich with shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, pickles, and mayonnaise.” Long before I knew the word *linguistics*, I was already paying attention to how people talked.

That interest eventually became a career. I’ve taught English, French, and Spanish in the United States and abroad, including Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Kuwait, Japan, and Spain. I’ve studied several languages myself and once even taught Spanish in Japan — in Japanese. I’ve also conducted teacher-training workshops around the world, from Argentina to Uzbekistan.

I am Professor Emeritus of TESOL and Applied Linguistics at the University of Central Florida. I hold a PhD in Second Language Acquisition and Instructional Technology and have written more than 80 books for language learners and teachers, published by companies including National Geographic Learning, Oxford University Press, the University of Michigan Press, and others.

But all those years of living, teaching, and presenting around the world also fueled another lifelong passion: TRAVEL.

I’ve flown more than 3,000,000 miles and visited more than 60 countries. Along the way, I’ve learned that some of the most useful travel advice doesn’t come from picture-perfect photos and social media posts. It comes from experience — including missed connections, bad decisions, unexpected discoveries, and occasionally getting things completely wrong.

That experience led me to create Smart Travel Books, a series of practical travel guides for people who want straightforward, useful advice from someone who has actually made the trip. After decades of writing books that turn complicated information into practical help for readers, I’m bringing that same approach to travel.

*Northern Lights: Your Practical Guide to Seeing the Aurora Borealis* is the first book in my Smart Travel Books series. It grew out of my multiple trips in search of the Lights. Eventually, my trips to see the Lights became spectacularly successful, but earlier ones taught me expensive lessons about what not to do. I’ve brought those experiences together to help other travelers make smarter decisions and improve their chances of seeing the Northern Lights for themselves.

I live in Orlando, Florida, where I continue to write, study languages, travel, and plan my next adventure.