ANDY GRAFF

NIAGARA, Wis. — Niagara native Andy Graff is drawing attention while making his mark as a first-time novelist.

Graff, son of Kevin and Nina Graff, serves on the faculty, is an English department faculty member at Wittenberg University in Ohio.

He recently had his debut novel “Raft of Stars” published, which has drawn critical acclaim from nearly all corners of the literary world.

In getting to where he is today, Graff took a round-about path to becoming an author. After graduating from Niagara High School in 2000, he joined the Air Force just before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

He served a term in Afghanistan as an aircraft mechanic. After his discharge, Graff went to a technical school with plans to become a paramedic. However, fate entered the picture and he decided to pursue his dream of becoming a writer.

He enrolled at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis., where he came under the influence of some key professors who encouraged him to improve his skill and pursue his dream.

Apparently their influence helped Graff a lot, as he was accepted to attend graduate school at the prestigious Iowa Writers Workshop. As he grew as a writer, he eventually earned his master of fine arts degree and joined the English faculty at Wittenberg University. However, success did not immediately knock on his door, as his first attempt at publishing a novel was rejected.

Following the words of a Lawrence University mentor, eventually Graff resumed writing and the result was the now highly accepted debut novel “Raft of Stars” that has a northwoods theme reflective of the land and river where he grew up near Niagara.