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I am James Gordon Williams and Diogenes Bob is my pen name. If someone calls me Jimmy, they are either family or people I knew when I was a kid. If they call me Jim, then they met me in adulthood. However, if they call me DB, Bob or Diogenes Bob, then they met me on the internet.
I choose to use a pen name because I was, for 25 years, a teacher. Since some students, parents and school administrators might find my writing offensive, I used a pen name to protect these people, and myself. However, I do not consider any of my work to be profane. I poke fun at popular culture and, in so doing, I sometimes use what might be considered vulgarities. I choose the name "Diogenes" because I thought he was a really cool Greek. He lived in a tub in Athens, and was said to have carried his lantern through the streets of Athens looking for an honest man. And, he never found one. Since I am from the south and so many southern men have the middle name, "Bob," I settled on Diogenes Bob. I was raised in Jackson, Mississippi. I received my BS in Political Science and Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1969, and my MA in Psychology form the same university in 1974. I earned a BS in Biology from Southeastern Louisiana University in 1994. I presently live in Shreveport, LA. I am a self-described poet, philosopher, humorist and psychic. Some people like my stuff; some don't. Some see my work as poetic derision. This is not my intention. My poetry can be enjoyed by those who both like and dislike poetry. I became a poet by accident. When I was young I listened to loud music, so my hearing is somewhat muffled. One day a woman friend with an aristocratic southern accent told me there was a "po tree" reading tonight at a local coffee shop. I heard this as "poultry reading." I was curious; so I went. To my dismay it was a "poetry reading." I looked and listened. People signed up to read, but no one wanted to be first to read. The reading began about 30 minutes late and I have found this is almost always the case. Then, using my telepathic powers, I noticed something strange. Each person wanted to read, but very few wanted to listen. Some pretended to be listening; others didn't even pretend. And I thought that I could write poetry that people would want listen to. So I put ink to paper and, to date, I have written over 400 poems. Most of my poems are short, and usually attempt humor. One day at a reading I overheard someone say about me that, "This guy writes short, funny poems." I didn't necessarily want to be noted for that, so I wrote "Poetic License," a poem which is a 15 minute read. Today, it is this epic poem for which I am best known. I like this better than "short, funny." My essays reflect the world as I see it. Some are tongue-in-cheek, others are straight forward. I hope you enjoy my work. If you have questions or comments, please email them to me at diogenesbob@hotmail.com HOME |