For most of his life, author T. J. Ray has explored ways to not only strengthen his own writing but also help others shape their linguistic abilities. As an instructor, he taught courses in English composition, advanced composition, Chaucer, semantics, medieval English literature, Middle English, historical linguistics, and more. Many of his courses aimed to teach writing using computers, a skill he feels grows increasingly important as technology advances. In order to make computer proficiency more common in educational settings, Apple, Inc. sent Ray around the country to give lectures in high schools and colleges to English professors.

Ray received both his bachelor of arts and master of arts in English from Mississippi College; he went on to receive his doctor of philosophy from the University of Oregon. In addition to teaching, he has also directed several theses, dissertations, and doctorate essays. His own essays on writing topics such as the disjunctive phrase and describing geometric forms have appeared in several publications. For fourteen years, Ray also served as a scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America.

Born in Louisville, Mississippi, Ray makes his home in Oxford, Mississippi. His days are spent in front of a computer or behind a camera photographing birds and flowers