About Keith Root
Hailing from the storied landscapes of Connecticut, I have long been captivated by the lives of those who came before us—the indigenous peoples of the Americas, the forgotten wanderers of prehistory, and the rugged survivors of deep time. But fascination alone was never enough. Curiosity demanded more than just a study of lifestyles; it craved an understanding of how these ancestors saw their world—how they made sense of the stars, the rivers, the hunt, the firelight shadows—how they positioned themselves within the great and unfathomable mystery of existence.
This relentless pursuit of understanding led me to write my first novel, Long Fang Band, a story where Neanderthals and Homo sapiens cross paths, testing the edges of their endurance, intellect, and humanity. The concept came together as I reflected on their struggles—not just of flesh and blood, but of mind and meaning. Survival is one thing, but the deeper question has always been: for what? The novel became my way of bridging the primal past with the searching present, a meditation on what remains unchanged in the human condition, no matter how many millennia pass.
When not caught in the gravitational pull of storytelling, my wife and I plant ourselves quite literally in the soil, gardening with both intention and occasional bewilderment at the whims of nature. We seek refuge at the beaches and mountains, where time stretches and breath slows, and we explore the vast landscapes of America’s National Parks, where the world reminds us of its wild primacy—and our own small but meaningful place within it. These experiences nurture my storytelling, reinforcing the inescapable truth that we are, all of us, creatures still tethered to the wild rhythms of the Earth, still chasing understanding beneath an ancient sky.
Receiving the B.R.A.G. Medallion for Long Fang Band is an incredible honor, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. This recognition means a great deal, as it reflects the passion and effort that went into bringing this story to life. I’m deeply grateful to the readers and reviewers who connected with my work. As a steadfast New Englander, I often muse that my affinity for early human history might stem from enduring our long winters—perhaps a nod to ancestral survival instincts. Writing Long Fang Band allowed me to channel that resilience into storytelling, though I assure you, no Neanderthals were harmed in the making of this novel.
