I grew up in small-town Southern Illinois. My fondest memories of this period are spending time with my grandmother on her small farm and roaming the surrounding woods and fields with my cousins and friends. My maternal ancestors include a long line of oral storytellers. Growing up on family tales masterfully recounted by Grandma and the WWII adventures of our six uncles gave me a fascination for history, and a desire to preserve these family stories. Throughout junior high and high school, most spare time was consumed helping my aunts and uncles on their farms. In 1967, the Selective Service System interrupted a rather unpromising attempt at college for a two-year tour in the U.S. Army. This experience proved transformative. Following my military service, which included stationing at The Pentagon and occasional assignments at the White House, I completed pre-medical studies at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, medical school at Northwestern University, then residency and fellowship training at the University of California, Davis Medical Center.

I practiced and taught critical care medicine for thirty years, with special interests in neurological injuries and severe sepsis syndrome. After retiring from clinical practice in the ICU, I began a project to translate the oral history heard as a child, along with a few of my own experiences, into written form. Time and Effort, published in January 2019 is the first product of this endeavor. My time is currently divided between a home in Northern California and the family farm in Southern Illinois. I remain active in analysis and advice of complex medical cases, quality assurance issues, and the logistics of health care delivery. I am also available for speaking engagements regarding health care, atypical learning patterns, and telling tall tales for fun and profit.