I am the author of the political memoir Becoming American (Black Rose, 2020), which won the Discovery Award for current affairs writing, received Honorable Mention in the Eric Hoffer Book Awards, and was recognized as a Distinguished Favorite in the NYC Big Book Awards. It tells the story of my growing up in post-war Europe in a family of Holocaust survivors, immigrating to the United States, and become deeply engaged in law, politics, and academia. My second book, On Two Legs and Three Wheels (Black Rose, 2025), is a collection of stories about worldwide travel adventures with my wife, who is disabled and relies on a three-wheeled mobility scooter. Additionally, I have published more than eighty essays in leading US newspapers, as well as two non-fiction travel stories in anthologies.

Apart from my writing, I am a recently retired land use lawyer and mediator. I hold both a law degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, and have taught courses in law and urban planning at USC, UCLA, and UC San Diego. After college and before law school, I served as an officer in the U.S. Navy. Concurrently with my professional work, I have been active in civic affairs, chairing or serving on advisory commissions at both the state and local government levels. I similarly have been active as a director or trustee of non-profit organizations working on behalf of environmental causes, Native American rights, and other areas of public policy.