He earned his B.A. degree in English at Clemson University (1985) and his M.A. and Ph.D. in American literature at the University of South Carolina (1988, 1993). He teaches a variety of courses on American humor as well as American road and tourist cultures. His research interests follow the same routes. He is author of Mark Twain, Travel Books, and Tourism (U of Alabama P, 2002, 2009 paperback rpt.) and co-editor of Mark Twain on the Move: A Travel Reader (U of Alabama P, 2009). He has also published articles on humor and tourism in a variety of academic journals and scholarly books.