Mark Canter (born August 11, 1952) is an American journalist, author, and teacher.
Born to Nathan Canter, an orthopedic surgeon, and Bette Lou Canter (nee Miller), an LPN, he was raised in the only Jewish family in a tiny farming community in Maceo, Kentucky (pop.
In his 20s and 30s, he worked a diverse range of jobs, including surgical orderly, rock-show stagehand, and licensed massage therapist.
Going back to college at age 50, Canter earned a master's degree in Interdisciplinary Humanities, with a concentration in comparative religion, and subsequently taught Introduction to World Religions for seven years at Florida State University.
He briefly taught a graduate course at FSU called Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy, and was a guest columnist for a year for Romantic Times magazine.