I'm Derek. It's nice to virtually meet you.

This is certainly a unique time to be alive. As we spend more time at home and online, it may feel like we are each in our own universe. I feel this way too. I teach high school English and humanities...remotely, from home. It's a new position for me. During the past year, I was on a sabbatical from teaching. I spent the year composing music, writing my second novel, researching family history, and reading a lot. I also substitute-taught in K-12 schools, that is, until the plague came. Before this sabbatical, I taught Spanish and directed school theatre shows. Before that, I taught math. In college, I studied Linguistics, during which I also produced albums as a singer/songwriter. I suppose all of this makes me a "renaissance man." But at the heart of it, I'm just one person in the universe striving to live in third place, as the saying goes:
"The Lord is first, my friends are second, and I am third."
- Gale Sayers
I maintain this website for a number of reasons. The highest of these is to honor God with praise and gratitude for the gifts He has given me. He has truly blessed me in my travels and relationships. Second is for friends and family who wish to keep up with my writing, travels, music, and other pursuits that I describe here. In addition, former students, colleagues, and acquaintances who happen to look me up may find it interesting to know a side of me they didn't know before. Each one of us has a story that is worth knowing. Each one of us is an ingenious expression of God's grand design. We only need to listen in order to learn from each other.
"Let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance."
- Proverbs 1:5

Thank you for visiting!

Use the links below to find information about my writing, travels, and music. Or, go to my Contact page to send me a message.