State of the Nation

David Jackson Ambrose spent his childhood dumpster diving for coverless paperback novels behind independent bookstores in West Chester, PA. He alternately immersed himself in the fictitious worlds of William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, Jacqueline Susann and Harold Robbins between stints of tadpole hunting and stealing fans off the trucks of the old Lasko factory.He then progressed to adolescence writing comic books that featured his younger sister and brother, in order to keep them entertained while their mother worked as an accountant for Sperry Univac. During his teenage years as a student he wrote serial novels, whose chapters were circulated in the homerooms of Upper Merion High School. He also sketched abstract fashion illustrations that his psychology teacher analyzed as having been created by an individual with extreme body dysmorphia - who did not wish to see the world as it truly exists.As a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, David earned his B.A. in Africana Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.A. in Writing Studies from St. Joseph's University, and received his M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Temple University. He has presented at the National Conference for Teachers of English, Engaging the Marginalized Student, and has received honorable mention for his exploration of race and social work for the 2016 AWP: Intro Journals Project entitled, There's A Nigger In The House. His short story, Juxtapose, was published in the 2014 edition of the Nota Bene publication. Keep up with David on social media on Instagram: @Davidjrhd, Twitter: @DJacksonambrose, and on the web at www.davidjacksonambrose.com.