What I Do
Over the past 20 years, I have written over 300 articles in the area of arts, entertainment, and travel in nearly 50 publications. My features have appeared in popular culture magazines such as American Profile, Script Magazine, The Washington Post, Significant Living, Country Weekly, The Nashville Business Journal, Nashville Lifestyles, Keyboard Magazine, Today's Christian, The Nashville Scene, Bluegrass Unlimited, and dozens of others. I have also written for a number of academic publications as well, including The Pinch (University of Memphis), Southern Crossroads (Mercer University) , and Southern Cultures (University of North Carolina). Click on the "Writing samples" link above to see some of my clips.
I recently wrote and co-produced a documentary film on the 40th anniversary of The Farm, a hippie commune in Summertown, Tennessee, which screened at the Nashville Film Festival last year. We are hoping to syndicate the show nationally on PBS soon.
I received an MA in English literature from Tennessee State University, and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Memphis. In 2007, I was awarded the Tennessee Arts Commission Fellowship for nonfiction writing. Along with Rosanne Cash, I also edited the Country Music Reader 2007, a music anthology containing articles, essays, and interviews with top country and bluegrass artists.
Last year my book, Chicken Soup for the Soul / Country Music edition hit the shelves. It is a collection of stories behind 101 classic country songs, ranging from "Green Green, Grass of Home," and "Delta Dawn," to "Jesus Take the Wheel," and the Grammy-winning song by Miranda Lambert, "The House that Built Me."
Click on the links above to purchase the physical book, the Ebook, or the MP3 downloads of the songwriter demos from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
You can also purchase an autographed, exclusive, special edition book with a CD of never-before released, original sonwriter demos or several songs in the book. Order above via Paypal.
