Busy Summer

I'm finally back from my many journeys this summer. I was part of a conference and television program in Prague and I had the chance to lecture in South Africa while visiting my son. During my time away I've also been keeping my hometown projects moving along.

I just submitted a proposal to the National Endowment for the Humanities for the America's Cultural and Historical Organizations Planning Grant. The grant was nearly accepted last year, but got caught up in some legal wording. The new proposal has even more interactive and advanced resources for interpreting Route 66, though, and I'm very excited to see where this takes my work.

I also have a book on Route 66 coming out with University of Texas Press in the spring. It will be an anthology of literature and oral histories that reveal the many facets of Route 66.

This fall I'll continue my work here at the University of New Mexico, teaching my course on autobiography, and next spring I'll return to San Francisco State to resume my post as Distinguished Professor of Broadcasting. A lot of good projects and good work to be done this year, and I'm looking forward to it.