A native of southern California, DAVID BAJO is the author of three previous novels-The 351 Books of Irma Arcuri, Panopticon, and Mercy 6. He has an MFA from the University of California at Irvine and is a professor at the University of South Carolina, where he directs the MFA pro-gram. Wherever and whenever he travels, he makes sure to visit the libraries, small as well as grand, empty or brimming, quiet or loud. Tiny local ones, especially those with ocean views, are his favorites. The Ensenada Public Library is the winner of the 2017 Brighthorse Book Prize.