Joe remembered when Ashland was conservative. Which was tough, because Joe was a Whig. And I'll never forget his stories about his pro-Revolution newspaper stirring up the ire of those Tory townies.

I was just thinking of Joe as I managed to scrape up another three figures of monthly income to pay down the student loan debt interest I acquired for my English/Journalism major. But it's worth it, because the only thing that impresses employers more than an English Bachelor of Arts is a G.E.D. earned in prison. Which Joe also did, before negotiating his early release by interpreting the dreams of the Pharaoh.

Whether working with Joe or being taught by him, he had a way of making you feel more like a peer than a student. As a small part of River Teeth at its launch, I always felt like my contributions were valued rather than tolerated. We'd approach stories in his classroom and in the field with different, but equally valid viewpoints. I like to think that all this was intentional on his part, and not an inability to differentiate age or experience. Which is common among old people and heroin addicts, so it would have been rude to joke about this while he was alive.

Joe's compliments and critiques of my columns, comic strip, and other writing were unique and valuable. And Joe fingered and fostered creative strengths I didn't know I had, while helping me address weaknesses I probably would have rather ignored at the time.

These days I'm living in Carrboro, North Carolina with my first wife, who has just let me quit my dayjob of four years to pursue writing fiction and poetry more or less fulltime for a spell. Last year I founded an online audiobook project which has somehow gotten me the attention of the New York Times and public radio. I didn't mention Joe or my AU English major in any of these interviews, because I didn't want to embarrass him or to deflect my own glory.

But any of this present or future success on my part owes at least a partial debt to Joe for making me earn his compliments, for making me address my mistakes, for not pulling punches with the criticisms I needed and deserved, and most of all for teaching me discipline. But he would never have gotten me to admit any of this while he was alive.

Thanks for making the time for us, Joe. And for your sense of humor, which I hope I'm remembering right.

Your Student (Recovered),
River Teeth Webguy (Recovered),
"Fly Casual" Columnist (Recovered),
and Comic Stripper (Exacerbated),

Alex Wilson (Class of '99)
BA English/Journalism or Journalism/English depending on the job application.

Filed under Journal, Peers & Peerless
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