Steven Pressfield is an acclaimed author, screenwriter, and former U.S. Marine. Born in 1943, he graduated from Duke University in 1965 before serving in the Marine Corps. Pressfield's diverse career path included stints as an advertising copywriter, schoolteacher, tractor-trailer driver, bartender, and oilfield roustabout before he found success as a writer. His breakthrough novel, "The Legend of Bagger Vance," was adapted into a major motion picture. Pressfield is best known for his historical fiction novels like "Gates of Fire" and his non-fiction works on creativity, including the influential "The War of Art." His books are widely read and taught in military academies. A master of overcoming creative resistance, Pressfield draws from his own struggles as a writer to inspire others. He co-founded Black Irish Books and continues to write and mentor aspiring authors. Pressfield currently resides in Los Angeles, California.