Emmanuel is a writer and photojournalist. He began his writing career at El Sol de San Diego as its sports editor in the early 1990s. He did his own sports photography, teaching himself the basics. Moving beyond sports reporting, his newspaper work expanded to include news and culture, improving his skills as a photojournalist. His novel "Vagabond Blues" was a San Diego Book Award Finalist. Emmanuel was born in Lynwood, California, and attended California State University at Northridge on a football scholarship. He lives in Prague, Czech Republic.