I have a longstanding interest in the writings of Cormac McCarthy and especially in his early writing centered in Knoxville and East Tennessee. I am a member of the Cormac McCarthy Society, have published in The Cormac McCarthy Journal, and am a frequent contributor to the Cormac McCarthy Forum. I was the winner of The Barcelona Review’s Cormac McCarthy Quiz (May-June 2002) and have developed a Searching for Suttree webpage showing contemporary photographs of places mentioned in the novel, Suttree, that has attracted some favorable attention. I am gathering material for a reader's guide to Suttree and participated actively in two McCarthy Conferences held in Knoxville on October 14-17, 2004, and April 26-28, 2007. At the most recent event I presented an illustrated paper concerning McCarthy's most recent novel, The Road, which can be seen online. If you have masochistic tendencies you can even watch a video of me delivering the paper on The Newfound Press conference website.

I love 30’s and 40’s string band and early bluegrass music. I play at a little guitar, banjo and mandolin and have several vintage instruments including my trusty 1951 Martin D-18 guitar, 1916 Gibson A-4 mandolin, Lyons & Healy banjo, and slot-head, square-neck, f-hole Dobro. I was lucky enough to attend what many believe was the first ever bluegrass festival in September 1965. What I would give to hear that lineup again! On occasion I get out to the WDVX Blue Plate Special at noon or Rocky Branch (Friday evenings) Community Center to do some listenin or pickin'.

I was a founding member of The Smoky Mountain Wheelmen and was among those who completed the first "century ride" held in Knoxville in September 1973. I was also a member of the Tennessee Valley Bicycle Club (TVBC) and the earlier East Tennessee Bicycle Club (ETBC) and raced occasionally in road and track events. I also built several custom bikes. I follow the major tours (by print and television) during the summer, but actually ride ever so rarely these days. I still have my old classic Italian road bike, a Coïcc with C Record components, down-tube shifters and sew-ups, and my office still displays a "Campagnolo spoken here" poster.

I was a frequent runner, now jogger or (whatever is slower than that). I ran in the first Knoxville Expo 10K race (in 1977) and in many thereafter.

Now that I have more time in my partial retirement, I have taken up hiking in the Smoky Mountain National Park with a great group of experienced hikers from Maryville, TN. I have been going once or twice a week now for about a year and having a great time logging those miles and trails.