About Me
Mark Stanley has been writing stuff that very few people read since he learned to read about four decades ago. His topics of interest range from the microscopic to the spiritual, but with a strong emphasis on the historical. He was educated in anthropology, trained in archaeology, and hired on as an Air Force archaeologist in 1993.
His job has exposed him to some interesting things. Eglin AFB is half the size of the State of Rhode Island. More than 2000 archaeological sites have been found there so far, and there are many more still to be found. As Eglin’s cultural resources manager, Mark also manages 13 historic districts, including the Camp Pinchot District, the 1908 headquarters of the Choctawhatchee National Forest.
Research for a biography of Florida adventurer William Augustus Bowles has dictated his reading choices in recent months. Bowles was a staunch loyalist during the American Revolution who went AWOL and became a Creek Indian chief.
Previous research obsessions have included his father’s Stanley genealogy, which is a project he would like to resume.
There are other interests that may warrant a post or two in the coming months. Mark is very fond of food. He likes to eat it, of course, but is even more fascinated with the history and geography of ethnic cuisine.
For many years Mark has dreamed of far off places, obscure historical personages, and mysterious phenomena. He plans to begin writing freelance articles for magazines to feed his research habit. These writings will almost certainly be related to travel, history, and ethnography.
Raised without religion, Mark has made a point of collecting and reading everything he can on religion. He delights in pointing out the similarities between seemingly divergent belief systems to the frustration of the True Believer. He is not an atheist. On the contrary, he believes somewhere out there is Universal Truth.
When not serving his country as a Department of Defense archaeologist (“somebody’s got to do it”) Mark shares his free weekends with his two young daughters, India and Siena, and, alternately, his girlfriend and spiritual coach, Tracy Matlack, who lives in North Georgia.