A native New Englander, Ron Soodalter has pursued a variety of diverse careers. With a B.A. in American History and masters degrees in Education and American Folk Culture, he taught in New York City's Riker's Island Prison, in a bilingual school in Spanish Harlem, and in a small upstate New York high school. He then worked as curator of a Colorado history museum, where he served on the board of directors of the 10-state Mountain-Plains Museums Conference. As a young teenager, Soodalter was fortunate to have studied Flamenco guitar with the world renowned Carlos Montoya, and has played professionally all his life. Also an accomplished scrimshaw artist, he has been featured in a prominent Manhattan art gallery. His next book, which is a comprehensive study of human trafficking and modern-day slavery in America, is scheduled for publication in early 2009.

A lifelong student and lover of folk music, Soodalter has collected traditional ballads in the United States, Ireland, and Scotland. He is also a dedicated collector of western memorabilia, primarily the saddles of the 1870's and 80's. His love of the west came to him through his grandfather, who had been a cowboy in Colorado in the early part of the century.

Soodalter currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Abraham Lincoln Institute. He has two daughters, Jesse and Melora, and lives with his wife Jane in Chappaqua, New York.