No, I "ain’t from around here." I’m neither a born Tennessean nor even a Southerner. I’ve been here since 1982, but I’m not trying to pass for something I’m told I’m not. I do identify with the South, but as a Judge recently observed, my “smart Yankee mouth” probably got me in a lot of trouble. I suspect that will continue. I was born in Washington, D.C.; I grew up in the suburbs of Maryland, and then my family moved to Illinois, where I attended high school and college as an undergraduate.

Missing Jackson, Part 2

And off I was about to go! I woke up last Wednesday morning realizing I was about to leave for three months and I hadn’t packed a single thing, made a list (I live for making lists!), or made a game plan. I’ve traveled a lot, but it requires special strategy when you have to pack for two seasons, tour performance clothes, everyday clothes, and something comfy. Cue me standing in an airport with everything but the kitchen sink.