Leonard Temme studied music theory, harmony, composition and piano initially with his father, a choir master and composer, then with several private tutors before attending Queens College of the City University of New York and the Manhattan School of Music. He has an undergraduate degree in psychology, a masters in mathematics and a doctorate in neuropsychology. After four years of National Institutes of Health post-doctoral training, he held research faculty appointments at SUNY Buffalo and at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City. He studied writing extensively with Kristina Darling, Josh Davis, Marie Ponsot, David Ray, Walter Spara, and Sue Walker. In addition to his professional publications, his writing has appeared in Commonweal, The Emerald Coast Review, Negative Capability, ALALIT, Half Tones to Jubilee, The Panhandler, the Best American Poetry website and numerous small presses. He served as Poet Laureate of North West Florida between 1989 and 1992. He is the senior vision scientist in an applied research laboratory.