September 2004:

I learned last year that R. David died in late 2002 of cancer. Someone please correct me if I have the details wrong.

I am especially disappointed that I was unable to visit with him earlier that year... I had planned it, but the car broke down in Crossville TN en route from Memphis, and it whacked the schedule so bad that I passed the chance to stop by. It is a familiar regret, but had I known that this would be my last chance I would have made time for the visit.

Just after I assembled this website, I sent him an email inviting a "hello" from him. Most of the correspondence that followed is recorded below, but I deleted different references that he made to my aviation website. He had read through it, and told me how impressed he was with it in general, and had specific compliments on several of the stories. He asked where I had learned to write... I would have liked to have seen the look on his face when he read my reply: Pretty much, you did.

FA was my only formal exposure to "English".

I had been writing a weekly aviation column for the local paper off- and- on since 1988, and had received enough encouragement about it that I had put it on the web, but until his comment, I had never thought of taking it any further.

Self- publishing the book, Gone Flyin could be a story in itself, because absolutely everything that went into it was done here at home. I wrote the dedication as follows:

January 2003, the most recent entry:

I had to go to Memphis last fall for recurrent training, and I had planned to stop at R.David's for a quick "hello". It didn't work out, but I will pass along his directions; they are interesting reading, even if you aren't going to be in western Virginia anytime soon.

Short of a visit, The best way for any of us to get a glimpse of today's R. David is to click here. and visit his site. < 09/04: His site is no longer available. > There are three different pictures of him on the various mastheads, but this will start you on number 269, which is a short story about his fancy for farm tractors (you didn't know?) The picture at the left will not help you identify the man in the photographs!

...And expect to be amused if you stop and read as you click around.

.

.

(276) 236-0257; e-mail: rdavid@valink.com

FROM NORTH AND EAST

1. Interstate 81 South to Interstate 77 South to Exit # 14 ("Hillsville, Galax"). (Approaching

from the Blue Ridge Parkway requires other directions, available for a small fee, see

below, have credit card ready.)

2. At Yield turn R or West onto U.S. 221 and U.S.58.

3. From junction of Main Street (Galax), continue West approximately 6 miles to "Hay Stack

Road" (only on left). Turn L. This road is also marked state road 636. Drive one long block

to Stop at "Old Baywood Road." Turn R. Go past "Baywood Store" (deserted) keeping

obliquely left and continue up hill on Old Baywood Road. If you turn off Old Baywood you

may be lost until after dark. The phones don't work after dark.

5. Cross river at bridge. (Other places present difficulties,)

6. Turn L on Little River Road (also marked as state road 626). The V&D property begins on

your left.

7. Drive up the hill .8 mile to first possible L. Mail box reads, "V. and RD. Cox" to all but the most myopic.

8. Make a very tight L turn. Drive slowly to top of hill. Signs of life should be encountered on

your R at top.

FROM SOUTH

1. Interstate 77 North to Exit 83, U.S. 221 ("Elkin By-pass. Sparta").

2. In Sparta, NC at junction of U.S. 221 (Main St.) and state road 18 turn R(North).

3. Drive 3.8 miles. At bottom of hill a sign on your left reads "Friendship Church" and another
4. reads "Pleasant Home Baptist Church--2 mi". Turn L (If you turn right you will find yourself on someone's lawn. It is expected that the residents are armed.) Drive 3.8 miles (no mistake) to VA/NC border (paved road becomes gravel road.)
5. At yield sign, bear left. You will be on Little River Road or state road 626.Drive 1.1 miles.

Mail box on left reads, presuming literacy, "Virginia and David Cox.". Take oblique R.

7. Drive slowly to top of hill. Signs of life should be encountered on your R at top.

TRUCKS FROM NORTH

1. Follow directions under "From North" through # 2.

2. Before reaching Main Street, Truck Route 89 South will be on your left. Take TR 89 South.

3. Stay on 89 S until it crosses the VA/NC border. Almost immediately after crossing border,

you will see R turn on to state road 18. Turn R up very steep hill. This is a winding, hilly, dangerous roadway, though it is usually in very good repair.

4. Cross "Little River."

5. Shortly, on L sign reads "Friendship Church." Sign on R reads "Pleasant Home Baptist Church--3 mi". Turn R.

6. Drive to [ T ] intersection.

7. Turn R. Drive to VA/NC Border.

8. Follow directions under "From South" beginning with # 5. (See following note)

Note. It is wise for large trucks from the North to stop in Galax and call. One of the Cox's can meet your truck at NC/VA border. The trip from the gravel road to Cox's can be difficult, especially for a tractor-trailer truck. Driver should probably see the road in before attempting it.

FROM WEST

1. Take West Virginia Tpk (I 64 and 77 South) to I 81 North and I 77 South.

2. Take I 77 South to Exit 14.

3. Follow "From North" directions beginning with # 2.

Note. The above route is scenic enough for most. If you want "more scenic" follow "From West" directions through # 1 to Wytheville, VA. Then take U.S. 21 south to Independence, VA. Take U.S. 221 and U.S. 58 East approximately 4 miles to "Hay Stack Road" on R. Follow "From North" directions beginning with # 3, except that you turn R on Hay Stack Road.

Another Note. If you're coming from Tennessee (some do), take Interstate 81 north to U.S. 21 South and follow "From West" directions beginning with the first note above.

Third Note. If you're in for super scenic and aren't in a hurry, take Interstate 81 north to exit 17 outside of Abingdon, VA and then take U.S. 58 east to Independence and follow the first note above.

Fourth Note: Understand that these are more options than people from Tennessee have had for a long time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Addendum

To: David and Virginia Cox, their hacienda, abode, hus, place, digs, last stop.

At: 2234 Little River Road, Galax, VA 24333 (SR 626)

Phone: 276-236-0257; Fax: e-mail: rdavid@tcia.net

Directions from Blue Ridge Parkway

1. Southbound on the Blue Ridge Parkway! Direction Warning! nearing the NC border, sign says "Cumberland Knob--2 Mi."

2. Cross NC Border

3. Sign says Highway 18.

4. Sign says Sparta, NC and Mt. Airy NC Exit.

5. Take Exit. Come to Stop Sign

6. Turn R onto Route 18 West (and South) to Sparta, NC

7. Turn warning! Bridge over Little River.

8. Turn R on Fender Road (total miles from Blue Ridge Parkway = 8.2). Sign on left says

"Friendship Church." Sign on R says "Pleasant Home Baptist Church."

9. Drive 1.4 miles to [T] intersection. Turn R.

10. Drive to NC/VA border, cross into VA go a "a little piece." At Yield sign bear left. This will place you on Little River Road, Route 626 going the correct direction. DO NOT turn R.

11. Drive 1.1 gravel road miles, down hill, twisting. Mail box on left reads for all but the most

myopic: "V. and RD. Cox." Turn oblique R up into the woods.

12. Drive slowly to top of hill. Signs of life should be encountered on your R at top.

If you cross the river again, you've gone too far. Looks hard, isn't. Not like suburbia. For the most part the only roads are the roads you're taking.

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This is the end of the current posting... Previous posts start here, in a chronology from the oldest to the newest. ======================================================================

I received an interesting email from David in early January 2001, and I excerpt from it:

...Your passion and your career (are they one in the same?) fascinate me... for one of my unrequited passions is to get a private ticket and my own wings, but I fear I will not accomplish that one. One of my older brothers took an "interest inventory"--a the time in our educational testing development, such "tests" were primitive at best--and it told his counselor that he should be a writer. At least 15 years later I took the then current interest inventory and it said I should become (I was already a college professor) a pilot (or a forest ranger). Today my brother is a retired Lt. Colonel from the Air Force having been a jet-jockey in Korea and Vietnam. I am a retired dean/professor and active professional writer. Maybe I should do a column about the reality of interest inventory testing. Nah, my readers wouldn't know what I was writing about. ...

If you wish, you can refer interested parties to my weekly column (now for nearly five years) at http://www.valink.com/fauxpaws. I have readers from all over the world and this is my third ISP publisher. That will give some indication of the ravages of age, though not of mental deterioration. Another site of interest is http://www.uspresidents.com of which I am C.E.O. and Editor. A little retirement project absorbing insane amounts of time and energy, but inching along in an overwhelmed world. ...

Best stuff,

David

"...If there is any clamor for a recitation of my career since Friends, a short bio can be found at http://www.uspresidents.com under the "Playwrights" button. And there are other bios in such standard references as "Contemporary Writers" but they are out of date since I long since have stopped filling out the update forms, largely because I don't like my life quantified in little boxes. I suppose I could flesh out the personal stuff from the professional should someone really be interested..."

This is the Bio that he cited:

R. David Cox was born and raised in Indiana and completed both undergraduate and graduate work at the University of Colorado in English and theatre. He spent much of his professional life in and about New York, NY as a writer, professor and college dean. His writing ranges from four texts in his joint fields as well as newspaper columns, essays, and plays. His plays and other dramatic pieces have been performed on television and stage, largely on the eastern seaboard and in New York. Cox's interest in the historical drama grew from the patriotic fervor of 1976 and has continued to this day as demonstrated by the four plays under his name in the Character in Time series and which served as the impetus for the formation of The History Project, Inc. The interest in playwriting grew not only from his academic work, but experience as an actor and director in the theatre as well. Cox has a weekly column on the Internet which can be found at http://www.valink.com/fauxpaws.

....Somewhat incomplete, but I won't pester him about it anymore!

Subj: Years
Date: 3/20/2001 8:48:46 AM Eastern Standard Time
From: rdavid@valink.com (R. David Cox)
To: rtilden@aol.com (Bob Tilden)

I pestered some more, and David has accounted for his years since Friends for us. He opens it with a disclaimer: ..."I offer the following chronology for anyone in need of an instant opiate without legal complications.

In a sense, I grew up with the Class of 1965, too. I began teaching when it was Fresh and closed it (temporarily) when it was Senior. So, 65's four years was mine as well. I've done a lot of teaching since, but none quite as enlightening as that, even though the class didn't need me much for it would have succeeded with anyone. That's the way it is with the top 3%.

After I left Friends I became a full-time writer and part-time almost everything. I had some modest success as a writer having been produced on the three major television networks, the most significant of which was my play The Beer Can Tree which was produced on the CBS Repertory Theatre. It is still being performed in remote places today (the last production I know of was in British Columbia and it "won" second prize for the producers--2000). Hmmm. During those days I worked as a graphic artist/copywriter (which is what I did full-time before taking the Friends position) part-time, was medical librarian at The Poly-Clinic in Manhattan, taught at Rutgers and Farleigh-Dickenson. I made ends meet (my wife was an actress and those were the ends meeting), but clearly I wasn't aggressive enough to sell my own stuff and two week stints on Candid Camera and ABC just weren't enough.

In 1977, my wife and I separated and I was appointed Executive Dean (CEO) of the new campus being built in Southampton (no causal relationship between divorce and dean), and I moved out east to direct its completion, recruit its students, develop its curriculum, hire its faculty, and get it accredited. When I resigned as Dean in 1985, I was clearly exhausted and ready to return full-time to the classroom, which I did. I taught English and Theatre as well as television, advertising, expository, creative, and script writing.

During that period at Suffolk, I published four texts, a book of poetry, continued to write and direct plays, articles (most in Newsday), speeches, curriculum, position papers, accreditation documents (even college types have to eat). Also during that period I advanced from Instructor through the steps to full Professor and maintained that rank so that I could return to the classroom. I remarried in 1981 and between the two marriage took responsibility for 4 adren who are all now in their 30s, college educated, employed, and sober. None of them are in the arts, though. Sigh.

I retired in 1992 and in 1994 moved to Galax, Virginia, where I'd purchased (in 1981) 130 acres. We built a house and I returned to the keyboard full-time. I now have a weekly Internet column currently webbed by Virginia Link, Inc. (www.valink.com/fauxpaws), do an occasional free-lance piece for someone who wants it for nearly free without the lance, am president and editor of The History Project (www.uspresidents.com) which is involved in developing and publishing a one-act play on each of the American presidents (and I have written four of those). I do charity writing, as well, for a couple of local service clubs, the local democratic party, and I have been involved in the curriculum development of the local school system.

The county in which I live has fewer people than we had as students at Suffolk (22K at Suffolk only 16K total county population) and the money and educational problems (1 in 3 are illiterate) are virtually overwhelming. If I could be educational dictator, I'd think I could solve some of them, but unlike George II, I don't aspire to that kind of power. I'm pleased to amuse lots of folks with my column and occasionally even open some eyes to a different way of looking at our world. It is now in its 248th emanation, and that's a lot of words for my suffering keyboard and my (probably) suffering audience. I'm not sure I approve of being paid as a "content provider." I guess there's something alien about "writer."

Oh, yeah. I write novels that don't get published. They don't even get read. I just sorta file the fiction and get on with the fact of managing the acreage. But the drama (dare I say "the force?") is still will me and still perking.

June 16, 2002

David and I exchanged a few e-mails after I sent him a copy of the Meeting House news. His reply contained a pithy but humorous observation, which prompted me to reply "... almost 40 years later, R. David is still correctly stating things that some people might not want to hear." I received this story in reply. I think it has several interesting facets.

Subj: RE:

Date: 5/30/2002 7:51:27 AM Eastern Daylight Time

From: rdavid@valink.com (R. David Cox)

To: RTilden@aol.com

Bob:

****

RE: "R. David is still correctly stating things that some people might not want to hear." Again, I don't consciously do that, though I do remember an instance in 10th grade English (and I think it was your class) in which I took apart the controversial book of the day which was called "None Dare Call It Treason," a diatribe of innuendo, falsehood and half-truth. I recall showing how the writer used standard techniques of half-quotes, quoting out of context, partial statistics, assumption, and the logical fallacies of red herrings, ad hominem attacks, faulty syllogisms, an ex post facto correlations. I think it was probably over the heads of most, but many did understand some of it and went home and told parents. Those conservative leaning to radical right parents didn't like the shredding of the current wisdom of choice and spoke to headmaster McNutt who spoke to me. Called on the carpet I was and was told to watch what I teach. I told him I'd teach what I thought was appropriate for the moment and if the parents wanted to come debate me, I was willing. None showed. McNutt didn't mention it again, to his credit. I never knew who the detractors were and in what force they were gathered, but I certainly was ready and willing to resign over the issue. Shucks, I had left a $15K job for a $5K job and had an open invitation to return. You can tell I really wanted to teach when I made that switch. I did it when I did largely because in another year I'd not have been able to afford leaving McGraw-Hill.

So much for truth and justice in that little world.

Always, best stuff,

David