diff --git a/lib/cleaver.js b/lib/cleaver.js
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/lib/cleaver.js
+++ b/lib/cleaver.js
@@ -48,7 +48,9 @@ Cleaver.prototype._parseDocument = function () {
         self.slides.push(md(slices[i]));
       }
 
-      self.slides.push(self._renderAuthorSlide(self.metadata.author));
+      if (self.metadata.author) {
+        self.slides.push(self._renderAuthorSlide(self.metadata.author));
+      }
 
       // maybe load an external stylesheet
       if (self.metadata.style) {
only insert author slide if we have the info available