David A. Ensminger is a college instructor and the author of four books covering both American roots music and punk rock history—Visual Vitriol: The Street Art and Subcultures of the Punk and Hardcore Generation (Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2011), Mojo Hand: The Life and Music of Lightnin' Hopkins (Univ. of Texas Press, 2013), Left of the Dial: Conversations with Punk Icons (PM Press, 2013), Mavericks of Sound: Conversations with the Artists Who Shaped Indie and Roots Music(Rowman and Littlefield, 2014), and The Politics of Punk (Rowman and Littlefield, Jan 2016).

Both The Boston Globe and The Economist have highlighted his research; meanwhile, he writes for publications like Art in Print, The Journal of Popular Music Studies, Houston Press, Trust (Germany), Artcore (Britain), and Maximum Rock'n'Roll. 

He lives in Houston, Texas.