Disposable Thoughts

The essays in "Disposable Thoughts: Essays on Reading, Writing, and Relationships" are culled from my 30-year career as a freelance writer and English professor. Some are humorous, like "Stalking Nelle," about sneaking into the nursing home where reclusive author Harper Lee was then living, and "Cutting the Cord," about performing the first surgery (or not) on my daughter. Some are unusual, like "Hank's Hat," an essay about the time I was researching a story on the night Hank Williams died and discovered the legend behind his hat, which has never been recovered. Others are more poignant, such as "Clay," an essay about my clay mining father and his death in 2009. And still others, like "Capote and Me," and "A Quiet Well-Lighted Place," are my perspectives on writing nonfiction. The title essay is a curmudgeonly take on the world of e-Books and electronic publishing.