Dante Paradiso is a writer, lawyer, and career Foreign Service Officer who has served extensively in Africa and Asia. He is the author of The Pure Life, a novel, and has contributed opinion pieces to the online editions of Foreign Affairs, National Geographic Voices, and, through the Tribune News Service, the Miami Herald, the Tampa Tribune, the Akron Beacon Journal, and Newsday, among others. Prior to joining the U.S. Department of State, Mr. Paradiso practiced financial services and bankruptcy law with Goodwin Procter LLP in Boston. Mr. Paradiso received his J.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles and his B.A. in Political Science from Yale, after preparing at The Horace Mann School. He is a recipient of the State Department’s Heroism Award (group) and Superior Honor Award, and the U.S. Army’s Superior Civilian Service Award. He comes from New York City and when not on assignment makes his home in Portland, Oregon with his wife, son, and dog.