Trailer Park Kid from Rural West Virginia. First-Generation College Student. College Professor. Reader. Writer. Husband. Father. Boxing Aficionado. Rappalachian. Coffee Junkie. Working-Class Scholar. Not in that particular order.
English Professor
I am a Professor of Rhetoric, Writing, and Communication at Siena College in Loudonville, New York. I earned a B.A. in English Education and M.A in Rhetoric and Composition from Marshall University, along with a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition from Ohio University.
I teach college courses that focus on rhetoric’s connection to identity construction. I write about this sort of stuff too. My first book, The Rhetoric of Appalachian Identity, was published by McFarland in 2014. My next one, 12 Rounds in Lo’s Gym, was published by West Virginia University Press in 2018. My biography of Muhammad Ali’s trainer, Drew Bundini Brown, Bundini: Don’t Believe the Hype, was published by Hamilcar in 2020. My fourth book, Beatboxing: How Hip-Hop Changed the Fight Game, was published by Hamilcar in 2021. I am currently on research sabbatical, working as a screenwriter and production consultant. I am also finishing up my debut novel, Way the Crow Flies.
My courses at Siena College include:
ENGL 498: English in the World
WRIT 100: Introduction to Rhetoric and Writing
WRIT 200: Advanced Rhetoric and Writing
WRIT 220: Rhetoric and Oral Communication
WRIT 390: Rhetoric and Appalachian Culture
WRIT 350: Rhetoric(s) of Hip-Hop Culture
WRIT 499: (Independent Study): Hip-Hop and American Politics
WRIT 499: (Independent Study): Contemporary U.S. War Rhetoric
WRIT 499: (Independent Study): Class Identity and Academic Discourse
Appalachian Professor
As the son of a fifth-generation West Virginia coal miner, I am a product of Appalachian culture. I grew up in Cowen, West Virginia, a small coal mining town tucked away in the Appalachian mountains. I consider myself an Appalachian man and care deeply about the socio-economic obstacles my people face. My scholarly research draws from a variety of fields: Appalachian Studies, Rhetoric and Composition, Community Literacy Studies, Communications Studies, and Critical Theory/Pedagogy. My work has been featured in The Community Literacy Journal, Sounds of Resistance: The Role of Music in Multicultural Activism, and Rereading Appalachia: Literacy, Place, and Cultural Resistance. I’ve presented my work at the Conference on College Composition and Communication, Rhetoric Society of American, College English Association, the Thomas R. Watson Conference on Composition and Rhetoric, Appalachian Studies Association, and the Sports Literature Association.
Hip-Hop Professor
Hip-Hop was my first love. I’m an advocate for the preservation of Hip-Hop Culture and regularly teach a course on the subject. At Siena College, I helped found a week-long event that honors the core elements of the culture: “Siena Hip-Hop Week.” In conjunction with this event, I’ve worked with Hip-Hop legends such as Grandmaster Flash, Chuck D & Professor Griff of Public Enemy, Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane, Masta Killa and Inspectah Deck of Wu-Tang Clan, Easy Mo Bee, Kareem “Biggs” Burke (Roc-a-Fella Records), and Sha Rock of The Funky Four +1. I have also written about hip-hop culture in the Appalachian region, see “Rappalachia: Appalachian Rhetoric in Hip-Hop Music,” in the Oxford Guide to Hip-Hop Studies.
Boxing Professor
As the son of a West Virginia boxing trainer, much of my life has revolved around the sport. I boxed as an amateur during my teenage years and worked as a U.S.A. Boxing certified trainer during my college days. I have published three boxing books and I am an auxiliary member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. During my career as a boxing writer, I have interviewed the likes of George Foreman, Larry Holmes, James “Buster” Douglas, Teddy Atlas, Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr., James Toney, Zab Judah, Christy Martin, and many more.