Michael Clayton was born in Redwood City, California, raised in New Orleans, Louisiana from age six, attended USC (Trojans) and UNLV (Runnin' Rebels), was a national-class track athlete, and claims his weirdest experience was being on a plane hijacked to Cuba. Michael is formerly married to NASA Astronaut Yvonne Cagle, is an extensively published journalist, and currently resides on his farm in Louisiana. He was a reporter in New Orleans, and served as a speech writer for Marc Morial, former Mayor of New Orleans. Michael has interviewed everyone from Johnnie Cochran, Whoopi Goldberg, Brian McKnight, Terry Macmillan, Henry Kissinger, Quincy Jones, Maya Angelou, and Nikki Giovanni right on down to Eric Benet, Tevin Campbell, Tracie Spencer, Coolio, Boris Kudjoe and, on a lark, racist David Duke, amongst many others. Also, Clayton is a recipient of The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Foundation art grant for literature.
