I do more than live in a van. I’m also a ghostwriter, photographer, artist and author. I’ve been published in Woman’s World, American Profile, PI Magazine (Private Investigators), Creative Loafing (NC), Road King (back when they published fiction), Cascades East, Chattanooga Life & Leisure, Appalachian Backpacker Quarterly, Blue Ridge Business Journal, C’Ville (lots of times), and more local and regional publications than I can remember.

As a journalist/photojournalist for Media General, Jones Media and Landmark I’ve written thousands of articles on everything from a day in the life of a kid in prison, and covering the execution of a man in Virginia (http://apublicdeath.blogspot.com) to the real estate market in Danville, VA (which won a Media General award).

Speaking of awards….

Besides winning an all-expense paid trip to Oxford, England courtesy of Daniel Pink (Best selling author and former speech writer for former Vice-President Al Gore), and being selected to speak at TED Global 2009; and in:

2007/2008
Four Mega Awards/Media General
Multi-Media Presentation- Hon. Mention

Prior to that, in 2006 I received were 1st place, a “Golden Press Club Award of Excellence,” in Knoxville, TN in 2006 from The Society of Professional Journalists for a series of articles I wrote on the death of a local soldier in Iraq and his journey home and his funeral.

2006/07 Tennessee Press Association
1st Place Best Spot News Story
3rd Place for Investigative Writing
3rd Place for Feature Writing package

2005/2006
My essay was selected for publication in Tim Russert’s book, “Wisdom of Our Fathers - Letters from Sons and Daughters.” Not only that, Russert told interviewers at BeliefNet.com that the essay was the one that prompted him to include a chapter on “Forgiveness” in the book.

2004/2005 One of three people to receive an honorable mention for Best News of Feature Story Series in Category B (Tri-and Semi-weekly newspapers) among all Landmark Communications, Inc. writers.

2004 2nd Place in Kentucky Press Association’s Spot News coverage for Class 2 Newspapers

2001 2nd Place in Washington State “Build a Better Newspaper” Weekly Newspaper Competition for Feature Photography

Business guru and entrepreneur Seth Godin asked his readers to vote for me in the Johnny Bunkocompetition.

In 2001 I also started my own newspaper, “The Klickitat County Monitor,” in Goldendale, Washington after being fired for refusing to back down from GreenMailers who threatened to sue the paper after I exposed their “greenmail” tactics in a series of articles.

The Klickitat County Monitor went on to become the first newspaper in 20 years to become a paper of record in the state of Washington. It was the first paper in 40 years to become a paper of record with less than $1 million in start up funds. I started it with $230 and a home computer.

The $230 was raised by townspeople who believed in me enough to donate and host a yard sale for me - five pickup truck loads of items that they sold and then gave me the money to help start the paper. It paid the first month’s rent on the office. I lived in the office, slept on a couch and showered at a state campground 20 minutes away. I did all the writing, photography and layout and 75% of the delivery to 32 retail locations in two states.

Volunteers helped sell ads and keep my books. After almost five months of 100 hour work weeks, I sold the paper, continued on as editor until my concept of news and that of the new owners clashed, then later left to return to Tennessee. After churning through several editors, the paper later folded under its new management.