Thomas Mc Laughlin in an Emeritus Professor in the English Department at Appalachian State University. He has published  six books in literary and cultural studies, dealing with a wide array of subjects including literary theory, modernist fiction, and popular culture.  His recent works have focused on the role of embodied cognition in cultural practices, and he recently completed a book  on improvisation in everyday life. He has also taught writing for forty years, on all levels, from beginning university students to  writers of theses and dissertations. At EGS he has taught classes in academic writing and served as a writing coach.