A Lumpy Bed and Other Places to Not Sleep

About the Book

The 77 essays in this book have been written by a man who has lived 84 years and an old cat that has shared his painting studio for a long time. There are no earth shaking events in them. Also, there are no murders, abusive husbands or wives, drunken drivers, blood spatters, cutup body parts, galloping horses, town tamers, or crooked sheriffs. Rather, they are descriptions of small segments of daily happenings. They are about living and loving and good relationships with all kinds of people. And about buying groceries, riding buses, walking in deep snow, military service, teaching students, sports, walking the road, making paintings, and the joy of putting words together to form thoughts. Above all, it is a book for a quiet evening of thoughtful reading.

About the Author

Howard Hull grew up in the coal fields of McDowell County, West Virginia. After graduation from Welch High School in 1950, he enlisted in the United States Air Force. He spent eight years as a weatherman in Europe and the United States, and was honorably discharged in 1958. In 1960 and ’61 he received the B.S. and M.A. degrees in Art and Education from Middle Tennessee State University. In 1965 he received the ED.S. degree from George Peabody College in Art Education. From 1961 through 1963 he taught in the public schools of Tennessee. From 1963 through 1964 he taught at Northwestern Louisiana State University and from 1965 until his retirement in 1999 from the University of Tennessee. He is now a Professor Emeritus of Art Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is a painter, college maker, and writer of short stories, books, and articles about education in the arts.