Sy Bassary is my imaginary secretary -- sleek, handsome, Algerian, with a razor wit and deadly charm. People are drawn to him and a little afraid of him.
He is also my driver. He drives so
fast I have to close my eyes.
My debut novel Byrd was published by Dzanc Books in 2014. I write other things, too -- stories, reviews, essays, poems, songs. I keep many notebooks. One of my favorite novels is The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain.
I dedicate this notebook to Jessica, a Raleigh Charter High School student who told me she "always thought it would be elegant to write in a journal."
singing with the late great greg taylor / photo by bill sandifer