Born and raised in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, Stephen Lewis earned his doctorate in Puritan American Literature from New York University. He is Professor of English Emeritus at Suffolk Community College on Long Island, New York. Today, he lives in a restored farmhouse on five acres on Old Mission Peninsula in northern Michigan.
Stephen has spent his life writing and teaching writing. His college and adult students— whether in classrooms, workshops, online programs, or one-on-one tutorials—have often gone on to publish their own work, crediting his mentorship and guidance.
His writing career began in 1970 with the publication of his first college textbook, followed by four more over the next two decades. During this period, he also published essays, poetry, and short stories.
His first novel, The Monkey Rope (1990), was followed by And Baby Makes None (1991), two Brooklyn-based mysteries published by Walker & Company. He later turned to 17th-century New England for his acclaimed historical mystery series Mysteries of Colonial Times (Berkley), including:
His historical novel Murder on Old Mission (Arbutus Press, 2005) was a finalist for the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards. Its sequel, Murder Undone, was released by Mission Point Press.
The mystery novel Stone Cold Dead (2007) was submitted by Arbutus Press for consideration for the Edgar Awards.
Broadview Press published his sixth college textbook, Templates, a sentence-level rhetoric still widely used. His recent short stories—including “Mumblety-peg” and “Like Water Over Stones”—appeared in Rosebud Magazine (2018, 2019).
After the loss of his wife, Carolyn, to early-onset dementia, Stephen transformed his online journal chronicling her illness into the memoir Dementia: A Love Story (see Published Works). He also writes a regular column for the Traverse City Record Eagle.
His newest novel, Two Sisters, addressing cultural identity and the Holocaust, is currently being submitted for publication.