John Walter Cherwonogrodzky

ISAAC AZIMOV (I, Robot, 1950) actually wrote to the author (October, 1986). In his younger days, the author tried writing short stories but when he tried to publish these, the replies were insulting and discouraging. He wrote to Dr. Azimov, saying that he was giving up but that this was fine. Obviously, he did not have the other's talent and so wished to thank him for his literary contributions that were a pleasure to read. A few months later, he received a NY postcard from him with a smudged typewritten note, "Dear John. Please do not give up. There is a great need for stories to be told." Now that Dr. John is retired and has the time, and has a fond memory of those precious words of encouragment, he will once more pick up the pen (or rather, the keyboard).

As a youth, "Dr. John" attended, in Welland, Ontario, an elementary school that no longer exists and a high school that no longer exists. He has a B.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, M.Sc. from the University of Alberta, Edmonton. He was a Canadian federal scientist (Agriculture Canada, Department of National Defence, DRDC-Suffield Research Station). His specialty was BIOTHREATS. He has over 50 patents (applied and granted, e.g. www.uspto.gov) 50 outside literature publications, 100 international presentations, and was editor of the eBook "Ricin Toxin" (Bentham Science Publishers). Some of his special assignments have been UNSCOM (United Nations Bldg, NY), BTWC (Geneva), TTCP, notably "meeting of opportunity" (Dugway Proving Ground, Utah), United Nations University Brucellosis Network (throughout North and South America). More recently, he taught a 40-hour course to graduates at Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China (2017) and presented a poster "GULF WAR SYNDROME revisited, the possible role of Chaetomium fungus" at the ASM Biothreats Conference (Baltimore, 2018). His teaching style has been described as a cross of Gandhi and Bugs Bunny. He used to cross-country/downhill ski, had a SCUBA NAUI, karate blue belt, and was a MENSA dropout. He retired in 2015 and started Biothreats Consulting Incorporated (BiTCI, see the website www.biothreatsconsulting.com). His wife and he reside in Medicine Hat, Alberta, with their children living in the province.