About Me

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Born at Detroit Parker Hospital (demolished). Attended Crosman (defunct) and Roosevelt Elementary, Durfee Junior High and Central High Schools. Wayne State University for the B.A., M.A. and Ph, D. (1972-1990). Moved to Cincinnati to take a teaching position at Xavier University in 1983 shortly after completing paper (on Frank O'Hara) for Edward Hirsch's Contemporary American Poetry class. In 2000 he married Elizabeth Hamilton. They have two dogs and two cats. 

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Influential Teachers

 

Miss Horn--Durfee English

Mr. Fears--Durfee Swim Coach

Mrs. Brown--Central Chemistry

Mr. Taylor--Central English

Michael Giordano--Wayne State French Department

Chris Johnson--Wayne State History

Edward Hirsch--Wayne State English

Charles Baxter--Wayne State English

Alvin Aubert--Wayne State English

Henry Golemba--Wayne State English

Jeanne Flood--Wayne State English

Steve Tudor--Wayne State English

Philip Traci--Wayne State English

John Bassett--Wayne State English

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MOVIES

 

Aguirre: The Wrath of God

Wages of Death

No Down Payment

Out of the Past

Angel Heart

Double Indemnity

Night on Earth

Aria

Deep Cover

Hangin' with the Homeboys

George Washington

Zentropa

The Storm

Kundun

Au revoir les enfants

Heart of Kings

The Field

Mystic River

The Window

The GoodFellas

Casino

Killer of Sheep

Nothing But A Man

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

End of Violence

Munich

King of Hearts

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Touch of Evil

Citizen Kane

Frozen River

 

 

COMPOSERS and ARRANGERS

 

Billy Strayhorn
Jimmy Webb

Duke Ellington

Paul Riser 

Tony Hester

Holalnd-Dozier-Holland

Al DeLory

Brian Eno

Cole Porter

Harold Arlen

Jagger-Richards

Tom Verlaine

Hoagy Carmichael

Miles Davis

Stephen Sondheim

Sonny Rollins

John Cage

Lennon-McCartney

Maggie Roche

Kate McGarrigle

Butch Hancock

Leonard Bernstein

Bacharach-David

Stevie Wonder

Smikey Robinson

Joe Strummer