What is your full name?John Andrew Ruder
What is your full name?
John Andrew Ruder
Where were you born?
I was born in a small town about an hour south of Chicago, Illinois called Kankakee. The town has a population of just over 30,000 and was recently voted one of the worst places to live in the US. Yeah! What a claim to fame!
How old are you?
I was born on November 30, 1966 so you do the math. I am a Sagitarius by the Western method and a Fire Horse by the Eastern method. (Incidentally, those born in the year 1966 under the sign of the fire horse were considered extremely unlucky. Many babies were aborted that year in China. Kind of scary...)
How do you describe yourself?
I've always thought of myself as a fun-loving geek. I don't necessarily like things that are "popular" but I never apologize for that. I consider myself a conservative and a good-listener. From my Psychology background, I have taken a number of personality profiles which indicate that I am a "ESTJ." These types of people are sometimes called "Guardians." ESTJ people live in a world of facts and concrete needs. They honor tradition and laws and have a clear set of standards and beliefs. They are social and take-charge people with a clear vision of the way things should be and naturally step into leadership roles. They are self-confident and are talented at devising systems and plans for action. ESTJ people enjoy interacting with people and like to have fun. They are generally conscientious, practical, realistic and dependable. For the most part, I would say this describes me fairly acquirately.
What is your family like?
My dad Bernard was a OB/GYN and my mom Linda is a home-care nurse. I had a great childhood and was very isolated I always felt. My parents divorced, like most of Americans it seems, in 1981 when I was starting High School. I have one older sister Cathy and one younger brother Todd. Both of my siblings are school teachers. Heaven help me! Sadly, my dad passed away in a drowning accident in 1993 and is buried in Bourbonnais, Illinois. He is also survived by my stepmother Lynn (also a former nurse) and my stepsister Renee.
Where did you go to school?
Let's start from the beginning...
I went to a Montessori school in Kankakee for Kindergarden and then it was straight Catholic school for the rest of my life! I went to grade school at St. Joseph Elementary in Bradley, IL and to Bishop McNamara High School in Kankakee. It seems I couldn't get enough Catholic education because I decided to go to a Catholic college as well choosing Loyola University Chicago for both by Undergraduate and Graduate degree. I majored in Psychology and Political Science (Bachelor of Science) with a Pre-Med concentration. Unfortunately, I goofed off too much as an undergrad and was not nearly motivated enough to go to Medical School (probably much to my dad's chagrin). I decided to work for a few years in the Hotel industry before returning to Loyola for my Graduate degree. I received a Masters of Education in "College Student Personnel" which is a fancy way of saying "College Administration."
Any awards or Special Recognition?
I have always been rather "artsey" so many of my awards are in that realm. I won an art contest for the Joliet Diocese when I was in 7th Grade and was awarded a minor scholarship to attend Bishop McNamara High School. In High School, I was in the National Honor Society and on the Who's Who List of Illinois Scholars along with the Presidential Honor for Acadmic Excellence. At Loyola, I was elected to serve on the Executive Board of the Mertz Hall Student Government as the Social Chairman through which we received the Blue Key Award for excellence in Student Governance. I was also a Student Ambassador for all four years through the Department of Undergraduate Admissions and a Resident Assistant for my Senior Year. I also served on the Senior Class Commencement Committee in college.
Are you married?
No. I am happily single and I have no kids. I do however have one dog (Sophie) and two cats (Watson and Sheba) who are all a constant source of amusement.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love to write and creative writing is one of my specialities. I have spent over ten years plus working on the World of Hyerune which I hope to turn into a series of books in the not-so-distant future. I also like to read (fantasy/sci-fi, mythology, geography and history) and have started getting involved in web design as well (thus my own web site). I also enjoy gardening and I am a MAJOR TV junkie.
And of course there is Dungeons & Dragons...
Oh of course. I am actually from the "Old School" and played D&D during the earlier years of its creation in the late 1970's when Gary Gygax and TSR were still running the show. Therefore, I have a great partiality to the World of Greyhawk (Gygax's Campaign World) which I feel is one of the best and now greatly overlooked and underappreciated. As a kid, I would snatch up any of the new rule books whenever they came out or asked for them for birthdays and Christmas. I still have a complete set of all the 1st Edition Rule Books which I refer to on occasion for inspiration. (My copy of the original Dungeon Master's Guide is signed by Mr. Gygax himself- thanks Lynn Price!). I used to play in grade school and high school. I don't really play D&D anymore (except for computer RPG games) but I continue with campaign design and creation and therefore keep up with the rules of the 3.5 Edition. I have also dabbled in Magic: The Gathering and have played that game a lot on WotC Magic Online version.