Edward Pickhardt Jr.

Ed has always been a writer, filling numerous folders with short stories and reflective essays over the years. Now retired after a successful career in sales, Ed has finally been able to make writing, which had just been a hobby, into his second full time career.

Ever since an elementary school teacher told him that he had a natural talent for writing and encouraged him to keep “making up stories,” Ed has been compelled to put his thoughts to paper. And after decades of toiling and revising, Ed’s efforts have resulted in his first book, Dusty the Dust Ball and Family: Their First Adventure. An unlikely concept for a story to be sure, Dusty originated from a bedtime story Ed told his young son.

Many years ago, Ed was lying next to his four-year-old son trying to come up with a bedtime story. Having read all his son’s children’s books countless times, Ed wanted to make up a story himself. As he thought for a moment, a breeze suddenly came in through his son’s window which brought some dust floating into Chris’s room directly in front of them. Ed looked at it and instantly came up with the idea of a dust ball family that got around by floating on air currents. That night began the story of Dusty, which over many nights to follow was fleshed out more and more. Written in pieces over years, Dusty’s story was not officially completed until recently, but as they say, better late than never.

Ed is currently editing his many short stories and essays in the hopes of publishing them as a collection in the near future. He is also beginning to write a Dusty sequel now, which he hopes will take Dusty and his Family on an even greater adventure.

Ed lives in New Jersey and spends as much time as possible with his grown children and young grandchildren.