He's director of the Creative Writing Program at Florida International University, and is fortunate to have local literary treasures James W. Hall, John Dufresne and Lynne Barrett on staff. All are published writers, including Standiford, whose second novel, Done Deal, will be released by HarperCollins this month. His previous novel, Spill, published in 1991 by the Atlantic Monthly Press, garnered wonderful reviews from critics, readers and other writers.