Since this is a personal website, I think that probably the most important thing for me to get across is who I am. This is not under the presumption that anyone would be interested in my life, but simply in the belief that if you weren't, you wouldn't be here!

In fact, the most frequent complaint I get about my site (and if you don't believe me, actually make the effort to read my guestbook) is that it doesn't have enough about me, and being the kind soul that I am, I have taken this advice to heart, and have set out to provide some more information about who the real Smiley Ben is.

This is the part of the site to read if you want to get the bare facts about who I am, but what I usually tell anyone trying to get to know me is to read my writings - my essays and my poetry. As unadept and amateurish as they may be, I think they do encapsulate who I am and there isn't a better place to start than that!