I was born in Kansas City, Missouri, but grew up on the Kansas side (which makes a difference). I went to land grant universities (Kansas State, Iowa State) and eventually got an MFA from the University of Alabama. I write about monuments and memorials (Hallow This Ground, Break Away Books, published in 2016), presidents (the awaiting-publication Execute the Office), and Vietnam (the in-process Difficult Third Book).  I teach nonfiction writing at the University of Mary Washington, and live in Richmond, Virginia, with the indomitable Elizabeth Wade. Of course we have a dog.