"its all happening..."

Big accomplishments that deserve my kudos:

Sphere: this year's edition is absolutely excellent.

It is rumored that English Professor Mark Halliday asked for 30 copies of this year's edition so that he could nix Emil Dickinson from his syllabus and require his students to write a paper on a piece of their choice from Sphere no. 53

Look out legends, Sphere is creepin in. 

Trailerpark: Some of my very dearest friends were involved in the production of a feature length film based on the novel by Russell Banks, entitled Trailerpark. I went to the premier this evening and I am so impressed by the story adaptation and the quality of this student film. 

Check out the trailer for Trailerpark cut by my good friend Jon Machles at: www.trailerparkmovie.com

Artists Collective: This new-ish student group attempts to gather together Athens artists for collaboration. The group boasts writers, visual artists, film makers, actors and musicians. I was invited to read some of my work at their end of the year gala this past Wednesday. I am excited to be a part of their growing organization and look forward to collaborating with their president Ray Monge next year on some major Sphere promotional work. 

So much art to wrap up an amazing year.

Sometimes on Sundays

uncle Tom would show up

smelling like alcohol

and giving away 20 dollar bills

to all the kids.

Mama would make him

dinner and a cup of coffee

before Daddy collected back

all the money and drove him

to the bus stop, saying

"go on back to your family, Tom."

And every night Daddy would 

light a cigar and watch the 

CBS news or Lawrence Welk 

in his rocking chair,

laughing a little.

And every morning he would read

the paper in his undershirt and 

suspenders and drive his dump 

truck down the street and

employ black men even 

when it was taboo --  

Throw bread crumbs off the 

porch, saying "The birds gotta 

eat too, Mama." and how do

men who wear their work boots 

every day shrivel up and die?