About Me

Atlanta, Georgia, United States
My first book, "Invisible Sisters: A Memoir" has been named one of "Twenty Five Books All Georgians Should Read!" I would love to visit your bookclub, either in person (in the South) or through the magic of electronics. My writing has received a "Special Mention" for a 2008 Pushcart Prize. I have been honored with a residency at the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation in Bethany, CT., a Fellowship at the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts in Rabun Gap, Georgia, and the 2009 Peter Taylor Nonfiction Fellowship at the Kenyon Review Writers Workshop. Locally, I teach workshops in creative writing, memoir, and feature journalism, and am a member of the faculty of an art college, where I teach screenwriting. I hold an MFA in Creative Writing from Queens University of Charlotte (N.C.) and a B.S. in Communication from Emerson College, in Boston. I used to work in television. I did not push the broom behind the elephant. Usually, I served as mahout - I drove the (allegorical) elephant. If he was SAG or AFTRA. Rock stars do not scare me.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Gil Scott-Heron


Is it confusing to post on Memorial Day about Gil Scott-Heron, who died this week at the age of 62? I think not.

But rather than explain Scott-Heron's music and politics to you, I'm going to direct you to Steve Almond's terrific retrospective in The Rumpus .

Scott-Heron, Almond writes, died of grief.

In other news, this is the view out my studio window; my neighbor's American flag, which he does not have out every day. He is a Vietnam Vet, and he does not receive the care from our V.A. hospital that he should.

He explained to me that Veteran's Day is for the folks like him who survived, Armed Forces Day is for the folks currently serving, and Memorial Day for the "ones that gave their all," but on this Memorial Day, please honor him and everyone else shortchanged by, and speaking out against, war.
Posted by at 4:19 PM

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