August 17, 2005...mark it down...

Just got a phone call from Jennifer Francis, the boss of the Appalachian Education Initiative (AEI). It seems they have some more info for me regarding my speech on August 17, 2005, for Arts Week in Morgantown, WV.

It will be at 7 p.m. at the Morgantown Visitors and Convention Bureau on High Street. For further information, bug them or check out the AEI's website at www.appalachianeducationinitiative.org (this would also be a good time to order your copy of their book "Art&Soul" which features double page spread profiles of 50 "outstanding creative artists" from West Virginia).

The book includes Kathy Mattea, Don Knotts, Jennifer Garner, Lawrence Kasdan, Chris Sarandon, Homer Hickam, Squire Parsons and Lou Myers. Pretty august company for a poor club poet and "Romantic Poet of the Internet"(tm)...okay, so maybe I'm not so below them all, they're still pretty cool company to keep (I got Lou's and Don Whitlach's autographs at the press conference in Charleston for the book, last month...Lou is a pretty cool guy to hang with)...and hope to add Chester Lester, Chris Sperandio and Michael K. Paxton when they also speak that week (if I get all living honorees' signatures, I'll probably sell my copy for charity).

If anyone has any suggestions on what I should blather about for an hour, drop me a line...I never can make up my mind.

Of course, considering the usually apathetic and occasionally hostile reception I usually get in Mo'town...maybe I should just send a body double. I seem to have a history of fickle mates, eh?