I didn’t choose to go to Radford University; Radford chose me.

After bombing out of high school and enlisting in the Navy, Radford was the only school in Virginia that would take me; but I received close, individual attention from my professors. Whether it was Lou Gallo inspiring me to write longer works of fiction by showing me the manuscript of his massive novel in progress, Jolanta Wawrzycka preparing me to present at an International James Joyce Symposium while I was still or an undergrad, or meeting writers like Tim O’Brien and Allen Ginsberg thanks to the efforts of Tim Poland, my education at Radford was first-class and an indispensable part of the lifelong learner I am today.

The past is a murky place but my memories of this campus are vivd and clear, and I’m so glad I was able to come back and reconnect with so many outstanding people. Tim gave me this photo yesterday, taken April 11, 1991, and yes that’s me on the far right, photo bombing out of the past.