So, this is sort of a special month for me. It was 40 years ago this month that I got my very first professional byline – an article I wrote in the July 1982 issue of New Mexico Magazine. It was just a half page about the annual Fiesta in my hometown of Tularosa, but it was my first, and we always remember our firsts. Let's just call this my Ruby Jubilee as a writer. I like that. I like that a lot.
With the help of the very accommodating Circulation Manager at the magazine, I was able to track down an image of the cover, which is included here. Alas, the magazine itself is no longer available, but who knows. The internet is a very strange and wonderful place.
I’m dedicating this milestone to my mentor, the late, great New Mexico Poet Laureate Keith Wilson, who took me under his wing at NMSU, and pushed me to be all that I could be. Since that time, I’ve written and had published thousands of articles, as well as short stories, poetry, novellas, children’s books, stage plays, movie scripts, radio scripts, and so much more. Thanks for believing in me, Keith. I hope I’ve made you proud.