About

In a sentence: I grew up on a farm in Umbarger, Texas, which had a Catholic church, a post office, a grain elevator, and a liquor store but lacked a school, so I went to school in nearby Canyon from Kindergarten through Bachelor’s, earning a degree in English and philosophy, before getting work in Amarillo as a technical writer, an ad copy writer, a high school language arts teacher, an appraiser of real estate, and a writer of the literary kind; however, the varieties in which a person makes a living are hardly a biography, so more weight should be given to the relationships I’ve maintained over the years, especially with my wife and three kids for whom the living is made.

Since this is a professional website, you’re probably here to find out about the writing. Swing over to the Publications page for an up-to-date list of pieces that have landed in a publication. Or swing the other way onto the Commonplace page to see what I’m reading. Finally, the Shop is currently closed, but you can order my latest collection of poetry at Wiseblood Books.

I’m not a salesman.

I used to write ad copy and developed an allergy to it. When I try to use words to sell something, I break out in hives and my throat swells shut. However, because I write and one of the goals of writing is to communicate with people, and the effort to communicate comes at a cost of time and love (both of which cannot be compensated), and in this case paper, ink, and a designer with considerable skill— yes, because of those costs, I do have some books for sale here to recoup some of that cost and maybe have a little extra towards the next effort.