
White Trash Academic Studies Abroad at 36
A few weeks ago, my classmates and I had an orientation for studying abroad. As the University of Alabama's director of study abroad...

I'm Going to Europe
In just three days, I will head to Atlanta, board a flight to New York City, then catch a plane to Amsterdam. It will be my first time in...

Summer Reading List
I generally embark upon the summer with an ambitious reading list, and this year is no exception. Once I submit final grades and work...

Today, on Lockdown, I Didn't Miss My Gun
Earlier today, as I sat in a darkened college classroom with my students, doors locked and shades closed for fear that an active shooter...

The American South: A Reading List
I grew up in a household where the "N" word was used regularly. When the Civil War came up at school - and it did often - it was...

Appalachia Reading List 2.0
I first compiled this list in July of 2017 in order to address the frequent number of requests I receive for a list of books that might...

A Poverty Reading List
In an increasingly anti-intellectual political climate, it is more important than ever for us to read books. While there are millions of...

The White-Trashification of the Opioid Epidemic
Drug addiction is an issue that continues to draw clear geographic, political, and class distinctions in the US. Since the opioid...

National Handwriting Day - A Day Late
If you are a regular reader of my blog, what follows is going to seem completely out of character for me. However, if you follow me on...

Appalachia Needs a Reformation
Jesus wouldn’t recognize the brand of fundamentalist Christianity being practiced today in a whole lot of Appalachian churches. Growing...