At age 15, told adoptive parents gonna write books one day. They frowned due to mediocre grades. Suggested sales or trade school. Today, 40 years later, my memoir Dear William, dealing with family, made Publisher’s Weekly national bestseller list. Moral: Never doubt a child.

Storytelling is at the heart of effective substance misuse education for youth and families and we are eager to reach many and help change and save lives.

Love @Jaemyn1 for who he is, what he about for years now. He’s been a community supporter and cheerleader since day one. Take a look to see how he celebrating the Tenn win on the Oxford Square, and you ll have an idea of who he is. Jaemyn’s party is a double scoop. It’s no secret also that The Oxford Creamery is where Jaemym often took recruits last year to give them a taste of Oxford outside of a bar as he worked like a coach to build the roster. He’s a winner long before last night.

Miss Thomas so much, as my William, but they shining bright, bringing the light.

Teen and college student mental health and substance misuse issues often spoke during the holidays. Here is how parents can help. open.substack.com/pub/alittl…

Thankful for Susan Akin’s courage, allowing me to tell this story without boundaries. It’s an important American story, amplified by her work and success in recovery. Great to be back with the story as a journalist. That this one melds with my work in advocacy is even sweeter.

We are so blessed in Mississippi with great bookstores and also readers who understand the power of storytelling and books. Thankful.

A dream come true on today’s latest A Little Crazy podcast episode — my daughter Mary Halley (Magee) Carlson is the guest, and she talks eating disorder recovery, social media fears and management, healing from family trauma, young motherhood, and more. This one worth the time. open.spotify.com/episode/4Mu…

I’m often asked when speaking in schools short on resources for counselors and aiding students in mental health, what can they do? Teach expressive writing, I say. It’s free, and it’s healing. The research and benefit is clear, and students need. #TikTok tiktok.com/t/ZTF6hjFDK/

Back in the day on this platform, before only screaming about politics and sports drew attention, someone like me could share that they have a new memoir out today and that it’s vulnerable and frightening, written to help other men my age who secretly face pressure and fear that they can’t do it all, see that there’s not only hope but a way out, through faith and better-managing distraction, and find needed support. Well, the truth is my new memoir, A Little Crazy about the very thing, is out today, and I could use some support. Because — I’m a little afraid. I’m scared somebody will read my book, and what I reveal, and see me as less. Yet, I’m afraid at the same time that nobody will read it. That’s the crazy, conflicted mind of what writers face. But I pray that this book, like my previous memoir, Dear William, helps someone. Just one someone. And then, my fear will turn to the satisfaction that keeps us writers of trauma, hope, and healing coming back for more, despite the fear.

So thankful 🙏

When I speak in schools and colleges and universities about mental health I’m often asked: what more can we do? Assign expressive writing, I say, since research is clear that such exercises in journals or even books like me improve our mental health.

Sign up for my free newsletter at alittlecrazy.com and get first chapter excerpt of my new memoir about finding purpose and joy amid the madness of minor mental health issues that distract until we learn to manage, making issues our assets.

Reminds me of why my favorite review of my book Dear William, a memoir, is the one where someone said they gave it only a couple of stars because I made it too much about myself.

When Lane Kiffin took the Ole Miss job, he made decision to become part of the community - and often does things that don’t get noticed amid football chatter. But so thankful @Lane_Kiffin cares about and supports student wellbeing. This Giving Day, he and daughter Landry, a student @OleMiss, quietly made a very nice donation to the @olemisswmc and this isn’t the first time. The Magee Center’s work is so vital, saving, changing lives, and thankful Lane and Landry and others help make that possible. Because, it matters. 🙏

My late son William was on the bleeding edge of the fentanyl crisis. Now we have funds and solutions like Narcan available to save lives yet … Millions in opioid settlement funds sit unspent when lives could be saved wapo.st/3TPdlgF

Powerful, vital work to make a difference.

After eight long days of Oxford projecting as Fargo, or, perhaps Bozeman, we’ll finally get to blink a few times over the next 24 hours and it’ll be all gone, back to more normal North MS January of tepid and damp and — good. – at Oxford, MS