William A. Cook completed his Ph.D. at Lehigh University from which he also received his Master's degree. He spent many years in academic administration as Department Chair, Dean, and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
He spent the last 13 years of his administrative life at the University of La Verne. He returned to the Professorate in 2000 researching the medieval heretical Cathar sect that flourished in Provence, Bosnia, and northern Italy in the 11th through 13th centuries. He published the results of this research in Cultural Expressions of Evil and Wickedness, 2003. He also published "The Destructive Power of Myth" in CROSSINGS: A Counter Disciplinary Journal published by SUNY, Binghamton, in an issue titled "The Uses of Religion," 2003.
Mellen Poetry Press published his last book, Psalms for the 21st Century, in March of 2003. He is also a regular contributor to the political journal CounterPunch having presented 14 articles during the 2002/3 academic year. His special area of interest is the American Renaissance, especially the work of Nathaniel Hawthorne.
