Michael N. Marcus either is now or has been a journalist, author, editor, blogger, publisher, critic, maven, nitpicker, raconteur, gourmand, advertising copywriter, public relations practitioner, photographer, band manager, amateur attorney, golf ball SCUBA diver, recording engineer and founder of AbleComm (“the telecom department store”).

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He published a newspaper when he was in sixth grade, provided words for over 100 websites and blogs, was an editor at Rolling Stone, and wrote for many other magazines and newspapers. Michael specializes in making technology understandable, and often humorous. At least eleven of his books are bestsellers.

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Born in 1946, Michael’s a proud member of the first cohort of the Baby Boom, along with Dolly Parton, Candy Bergen, Donny Trump, Billy Clinton and Georgie Bush.

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Electronics was always Michael’s favorite hobby. He loved to build gadgets.

The victim of a misguided guidance counselor, he went to Lehigh University to become an electrical engineer and was quickly disappointed to learn that engineering was mostly math—and slide rules were not as much fun as soldering irons. He got in big trouble for running intercom wire from his freshman dorm room to a friend’s room two floors below, and when an inspector found a payphone in his suitcase. Following the advice of an older student from his hometown, Michael switched from engineering to journalism.

 

He recently learned of a parallel with comedian Garry Shandling. Garry went to college to study engineering—but became a writer and a funny guy.

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Michael was one of a few literate people in his engineer-filled freshman dormitory and made money editing term papers.

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While in college, he co-owned a band management company. One of its groups turned down the chance to record Yummy Yummy Yummy, I’ve Got Love in My Tummy, which became a hit for The Ohio Express.

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Later, his college apartment had an elaborate and illegal multi-line phone system, a phone booth with a toilet in it, and an invisible phone activated by hand claps.

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Michael lives in Connecticut with his wife Marilyn, the ghost of Hunter J. Marcus, their golden retriever, and a lot of stuff.

 

Until a recent downsizing from a huge house to a right-sized apartment, he had two telephone booths (indoor and outdoor, of course), a “Lily Tomlin” switchboard, a teletype, three parking meters, a coin collector device from a New York City bus, lots of phones, books, tapes, tools, commercial artwork, cameras, CDs, DVDs, Coke containers, signs, and many black boxes with flashing lights.

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He still has lots of media, cameras, gadgets, toy cars, bobble heads, tools and a collection of restaurant sugar lumps dating back to the 1930s.

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Marilyn is very tolerant.