He graduated from Reed College,[1] and the Iowa Writers' Workshop.
[2] He lives in Buffalo, Wyoming,[3] with his wife, the potter Margo Brown.
His daughter, Caitlin Belem, plays Brazilian and Latin music with the band Maracuja.
He is a founder and current board member of Worlds of Music.
They have recorded three CDs: Bury My Clothes, Ants on Ice and It's Hot.