Ida Mae and Paul Darling are the two people in my life who had perhaps the most profound impact on my mastery of storytelling. When I was just two years old, my family moved next door to them in Seminole, Texas, so their influence began almost as soon as I learned to talk. With no children of their own, Ida Mae and Paul were like second parents for me and my brother. They loved and supported us during good times and bad. They were especially supportive when I left Seminole to be hospitalized … [Read more...]

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to go back to a place that I will always hold dear in my heart -- Topeka, Kansas. That’s where I learned how to overcome my addictions, where I learned how to become “weller than well” during my eight-month hospitalization at the Menninger Clinic. That’s where I was when I got the news that Larry had been shot down over the Laotian jungle and I would have to start my life over without him. Topeka was where I kept one of my first promises to Larry, to … [Read more...]

Summer is a busy travel time. I’m right now preparing for a trip to Topeka for a reunion with students and teachers who were with me at East Topeka Junior High back in the ‘70s. I describe this wonderful start to my career in Chapter 22 of Where the Water Meets the Sand. “I loved the job, the students, and the community. Those children taught me to teach. They teased me sometimes about my pronounced Texas twang, but over time, they embraced me.” I’m looking forward to this journey. Unlike a … [Read more...]

Thirty-five is an important number for me. It’s the number of years it took for Larry’s remains to be returned from Vietnam. And, as of July 1, 2016, it will be the number of years that I have been sober. When people ask me how I feel about maintaining my sobriety for so long, I tell them that I am grateful. I don’t take my sobriety for granted, and I will never forget how I came to be where I am today. I’m grateful for the people who helped me along the way, beginning with my grandmother who … [Read more...]