Personal

I am one of the few people who have had mailing addresses in the three greatest college basketball meccas – Lawrence, Kan.; Lexington, Ky. and Durham/Chapel Hill, N.C. After moving every two years (on average) between the ages of 21-35, I have finally found my home in Elon, N.C., where I live with my wife, son, and dog.

When I'm not imparting knowledge to budding journalists, here are a few things I enjoy:

Kansas Jayhawks athletics: Following my alma mater can be a heartbreaking experience – try watching your team clank a gazillion free throws in the national championship game sometime – but the future looks bright. I can sometimes be found lurking at the online insane asylum known as Phog.net.

Baseball: I've become a big fan of the minor leagues since moving to North Carolina. It doesn't get much better than spending an evening watching the Burlington Indians, Greensboro Grasshoppers or Durham Bulls. I also follow the major leagues and usually root for whoever is playing the New York Yankees.

TV: I haven't been a regular viewer of prime-time television in 20 years (working nights for most of my professional career has something to do with that). I do enjoy "No Reservations" with Tony Bourdain and "Good Eats" with Alton Brown. I also watch "Pardon the Interruption," but I'm more partial to Mr. Tony's brilliant radio show.

Music: I can't play a note, but I'm an avid fan of a number of styles. Five of my favorites:
    Rock: "Rust Never Sleeps," Neil Young and Crazy Horse
    Jazz: "Giant Steps," John Coltrane
    R&B: "Wilson Pickett's Greatest Hits," Wilson Pickett
    Blues: "Live at Montreux," Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
    Alt Country: "Stranger's Almanac," Whiskeytown

Books: Five for a deserted island ...
    "The Boys on the Bus," Tim Crouse
    "The Great Shark Hunt," Hunter S. Thompson
    "Slaughterhouse-Five," Kurt Vonnegut
    "You Gotta Play Hurt," Dan Jenkins
    "The Baseball Encyclopedia"