I am a retired family therapist and medical educator, raised in the Ozarks and living in New York City since the mid-60’s. I hold an Assistant Professor Emeritus rank at the Einstein School of medicine in the Bronx where my area of study and research was doctor-patient communication. I have done extensive research and publishing on this topic in refereed medical journals, and Google Scholar shows my articles have been cited more than 800 times by other authors. My professional publications also included occasional poetry and vignettes related to my field. I have never been published in a literary journal.