PRESTON COUNTY, WV—Since I last blogged, my world has changed beyond recognition. If you recall, my niece had just given birth on Dec. 27, 2019, to a beautiful baby girl. Then my mother suddenly died on New Year’s Day. Eight days later, I became homeless. Two days later, I attended Read more…
MORGANTOWN, WV—As 2019 exits stage right, let’s talk babies—and Facebook. First thing this morning, that social network reminded me of my actions for every December 31 for the last several years. Of special import was one memory from Dec. 31, 2013. That was the day I read my sister’s eulogy Read more…
MORGANTOWN, WV—It’s at times like these that I think of Anthony Shadid. The Pulitzer Prize winning journalist died in 2012 from asthma, while on assignment in Syria. He was just 43. He was also extremely allergic to horses. Sadly, Shadid was walking behind a horse as he and another New Read more…
Note: Some of the following comes from book three in my Appalachian Families series, which I’m in the process of finishing. Never mind that President Trump signed an executive order today to stop families from being separated at the border—because, at this moment, they still are. For these families, the Read more…
I imagine the number of people watching This Is Us after tonight’s Super Bowl LII will be record breaking. I will be among them. SPOILER ALERT!!! In fact, I specifically hooked up my cable box today for just that reason. Not because I want to see Jack Pearson die, though. Read more…
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — One month later, John has a new set of wheels. The motorized wheelchair, a gift from a local woman who knows exactly how essential such a chair is, has given John back his freedom. I met John four weeks ago on a snowy Sunday, at the intersection Read more…
You sustain me. Whether it’s macadamia nuts and honey from Hawaii; cranberry skin care from Maine; gift cards from Texas, Maryland, and beyond; or a homemade meal and a handwritten card, your love lifts me up and gives me strength. The loss of a loved one, in my case a Read more…
First came the stealthy knock, carried out under cover of darkness. Then the sound of footsteps, running away from the house. And then, the horrible message: “TRUMP is our president now. Get out of our neighborhood now FAGGOTS!!” I hate that word. I refuse to utter it and hate to Read more…
I’m nearing the end of my long, literary journey, having driven more than 2,500 miles to date, from West Virginia to Arizona, and complete strangers have turned into new friends, as I stop and smell the roses – both literally and figuratively. The roses, you see, are the people I Read more…
Editor’s note: This article contains spoilers. I love watching movie trailers. So when I saw the one for Me Before You several months ago, the first thing I did after leaving the theatre was Google the title, where I discovered the newly-released flick was based on the 2012 fictional novel Read more…