Richard was born in Hamilton, Ohio, raised in Oakridge, Tennessee, and schooled in Rochester, New York.  As a young man, he moved to Riverside, California where his family finally settled.

After spending six years living and working abroad, Richard earned a Master’s Degree in French and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.  He has held professional positions in advanced technology companies over a span of three decades.  He currently lives in Cupertino, California, with his lovely wife Priscilla and their trusty dog Cookie. 

Drop Richard a note at LongestHalfMile@sbcglobal.net

To see some photos of Richard's journey visit:
http://s722.photobucket.com/albums/ww223/longesthalfmile/?albumview=slideshow

For event updates visit his blog at http://longesthalfmile.blogspot.com/

Pahl Hluchan received a BFA in animation at Rhode Island School of Design in 1987 and an MFA in painting at Yale University in 1994. He has taught at Southern Connecticut State University, Savannah College of Art and Design, and University of the Arts, as well as Delaware College of Art and Design. Currently he works both as a painter and an animator. He has been in many national exhibitions including Harpers, Art Alternative, and The Artist Magazine.

To view more of Pahl's work visit http://pahlhluchan.blogspot.com

Reviews in the Cupertino News ~ May, 2009

By Scot Austin

As a young man, I thought of traveling the world, but I let completing my education and a lack of money serve as excuses to prevent me from pursuing this dream.

Richard Lukon let no such impediments interfere with his. At the age of 14, his family moved from upstate New York to Riverside, California.  Beginning high school as a newcomer, he was never able to quite fit in with his high school classmates.  As a result, he became an embittered underachieving student, barely able to graduate in 1963.  Alienated from his family, he went to live in the San Francisco bay area with a relative.  An angry young man, he was naturally drawn to the beat culture in San Francisco and his sense of adventure led him to the international docks. He finally was able to hire on as a crew member on a German freighter in exchange for passage to Australia.  Thus began a three year odyssey that took him from Australia to France and Israel.

His story is of the menial jobs he took to allow him to afford to continue his quest, living, working, studying and partying along the way.

We each have our own coming of age story, but he tells his in such a way that the places and people come alive for the reader.  We share his pleasures, perils, embarrassments, friendships and conflicts.

He writes of those with whom he forms relationships, their personalities, character and opinions and what he takes from each.  Many of them have since become his lifelong friends.  We travel with him as he takes his first steps down the road toward becoming the man he is today.

By Donna Austin

When I met Richard Lukon, an author who lives over near Rainbow on the border between Cupertino and San Jose, I gave him the Nickname of "The Man Over The Rainbow".  Even though he had never thought of himself that way, he liked the idea.

Born on a farm in rural Ohio of immigrant parents, Lukon's father was from Slovakia and his mother was from Wales.  He moved with his family to Oakridge, Tenn., where his father was a research physicist.  At the age of 9 his family moved again, to Rochester, NY.  At age 14, his family moved to Riverside CA.  He had problems adjusting to high school there and said he didn't do too well.

So, at the age of 18, Lukon took a 3-year journey around the world.  He kept journals and wrote his impressions and thoughts.  At age 25, he took a second journey and wrote more detailed journals with character portraits.  His mother kemp all letters, so with the journals and letters to aid him, he wrote this book, Thee Longest Half Mile.

Richard Lukon had earned a BA in French from CSU Hayward, and MA in French from the University of Massachusetts, and an MBA in Business Administration from Santa Clara University.  He had a wide and varied career with a teaching fellowship in Africa; and as a microwave engineer. Lukon retired at age 57 and began a memoir writing class.  He attributes this class for helping him craft his writing skills.

He has been married for 25 years to his wife Patti who he met at the Palo Alto Country Club.  She was wearing a red dress and a black rose and came over and spoke to him in French.  They have a daughter Jessica.