John Buell(1927-2013) was a native and lifelong resident of Montreal. He studied at Loyola College (later Concordia University) and Université de Montréal, teaching English and Communication Studies at the former. Upon his retirement in 1987, he was made professor emeritus. Buell's five novels - The Pyx (1959), Four Days ( (1962), The Shrewsdale Exit ( (1972), Playground ( (1976) and A Lot to Make Up For ( (1990) - were lauded by Edmund Wilson amongst other prominent critics. Three of Buell's novels have been made into feature films.

Sean Kelly was one of John Buell's students. Originally from Montreal, he is a former editor at National Lampoon, and is the co-author of more than a dozen books, including Slightly Higher in Canada (1978) and Saints Preserve Us! (1993). His television work includes The Magic School Bus, Shining Time Station (and Between the Lions ). Kelly lives in Brooklyn and teaches in the Pratt Institute's Humanities and Media Studies department.