The Keeper of Light is a collection of poetry in conversation with the reader. It takes them through the author's journey into adulthood as he discovers who he is and how he fits into the world. The book lays bare his struggle with mental illness and follows him as he wakes up to the political landscape of his country. The author explores what it means to have an identity, touching on everything from race and education to religion and spirituality. The vulnerability behind these poems allows you, the reader, to truly get to know the author and what he stands for.

I am a sixty-eight-year-old dad of two, pop paw of three, and husband of one. I grew up in Clay County, WV, worked thirteen years in construction around the coal mines, and taught middle school mathematics for twenty-three years until my retirement in 2011.
I am a Deacon and Sunday School teacher in a Southern Baptist Church. I do a lot of fishing in the summer, hunting in the winter and woodworking when the mood hits me.
I have been happily married to my wife, Connie, for forty-four years and, together, we live on our forty-three-acre farm in Fayette County, WV. We have three dogs, twelve homing pigeons, ten chickens and one hive of honey bees.