Myron Levoy's works range from the realism of the young adult novel Alan and Naomi to the surrealistic stories Penny Tunes and Princesses and The Witch of Fourth Street and Other Stories. All of them, however, share a common theme. In each instance, the story's protagonists have a choice to make-- whether to recognize their individuality or to submerge it. "In my work for children and adults," Levoy declares in Contemporary Authors, "my continuing concern has been for the 'outsider,' the loner." In each of his works, Levoy's protagonists "must come to terms with and face their own uniqueness," the writer continues in Contemporary Authors. "Their stories are open-ended; there are no pat solutions, but rather, growth and discovery, with more struggles ahead to be met, one hopes, with greater strength and insight."

"I was born and grew up in New York City," Levoy remembers in his...