Born in Oxford, Mississippi in 1951, Brown served as a Marine during the Vietnam War.  Upon his return home, he joined the Oxford Fire Department.  During down time, Brown wrote stories that he submitted to magazines.  After years of rejections, his first book, a collection of short stories entitled Facing the Music, appeared in 1988 to critical acclaim.  Before his death in 2005, Brown produced eight additional volumes. 

The 2001 independent film Big Bad Love brings to the screen the second of Brown's short story collections.  Arliss Howard produced, directed, co-wrote, and stars as Leon Barlow, an alcoholic struggling writer with a rich fantasy life and a troubled reality.  Besides a cast that includes Debra Winger, Rosanna Arquette, and Angie Dickinson, Brown himself appears on screen in a cameo role as Mr. Barlow.  The author also wrote the introduction to the liner notes of the soundtrack which features a number of North Mississippi bluesmen.   [go to page 2 >>]