J.C. (Chris) McGowan is a native of California who now lives in Rio de Janeiro. A writer with diverse interests, he is the author of the satirical science-fiction novel "The Big God Network" and co-author of the music study "The Brazilian Sound: Samba, Bossa Nova and the Popular Music of Brazil" (Temple University Press). He has also published a history of digital media, "Entertainment in the Cyber Zone" (Random House). His articles and blogs about the arts, culture, politics, and environmental issues have appeared in the Huffington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Billboard, Musician, Widescreen Review, Pulse!, L.A. Weekly, L.A. Reader, and Los Angeles magazine.