I was born on the East Coast, the son of a preacher. My early childhood was good. When I was 10 years old, our family moved from Maine to Washington State to become members of a unique religious group. Well, it was a cult.

I spent the next six years, living and working on a farm. I did everything from digging ditches and building fences to hauling hay and cleaning horse stalls. I literally worked 6 hours a day on school days and 12-14 hours a day during the summers. I lived in a bunkhouse with about 20 other young men and boys. I spent my Friday and Saturday evenings listening to the misled teachings of the leader.

In 1979, When I was 16, the group was broken up by local authorities. My parents remained loyal. I went into the foster-care system until I was 18. The freedom was overwhelming and I made a few poor choices. I’m glad those days are past.

I spent most of my 20s living in a travel trailer and working at restaurants and mini-marts. I worked summers and traveled the United States by train every fall during those years. It was during this time that I began to play music and write songs regularly. I started playing drums, but quickly picked up the piano and guitar as songwriting tools. I wrote dozens of songs. I spent some time in Nashville. I wasn’t ready for that game and have discovered I never will be, not for the lack of talent but due to the industry’s constrictive nature and vision.

In the early 1990s, I started attending a community college and studied radio broadcasting. I quickly discovered that I had a voice for radio and worked at a variety of radio and TV stations. I continued my education to get a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from Washington State University where I studied Woody Guthrie in my graduate program.

I married in 1999. It only took a few years to realize that the marriage was bound to end. My ex-wife struggled with extreme depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. When our daughter Annie was born in 2005, she was unable to care for her. I had to make some hard choices. I became a single dad and Annie was 11 months old and now  she’s seen 21 years.

After I graduated college, I started teaching communication courses. I spent a few years teaching in the Midwest before getting a job back at the college where I’d started as a student in Washington State ten years earlier.

In 2013, I bought my first home. It was a small 3-bedroom house in the historic district of Yakima, Washington. In 2019, I decided to cash in on the hot market. I sold my house and paid off my debt. I rented for two years and bought a condo.

Somewhere along the way, after a few moves across the country, I decided that less was more. I began to take on the philosophy of minimalism. I’ve learned that the less we own, the more we accomplish. Less stuff equals more money. Less distraction equals more productivity. It was with this understanding that I started my Hip Diggs blog in 2014.

Unfortunately, minimalism has become a trend and is simply marketed as another product. I quit blogging about simple living for that reason.

One thing that I’ve always loved is music. I’ve spent countless hours listening to music. A favorite pastime used to be going to record stores and listening to a new artists. I’m sad to see those stores disappearing.

I learned to play several instruments, including drums, guitar, piano, mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and harmonica. I’ve written more than 1500 songs but I’ve only recorded a small portion of them. That’s why I started a YouTube Channel, to catalog some of those old songs.

More recently, I’ve learned how to create entire musical compositions using an iPad alone. If I ever start a podcast, I know where I’ll get my bumper music. I’m continually pushing myself to explore deeper, musically. I record electronic and ambient music under the names of Anderhill and A Cult of Lies.

After writing my first book in 2012, A Train Called Forgiveness, I decided that the fictionalized story would make a good trilogy. In 2013, I completed the second book, At The Crossing Of Justice And Mercy. In 2016, I published third book of the Cult Trilogy.

I’ve discovered that I have a more than a trilogy in me as an author. I’ve since written hundreds of poems and several short ebooks. I’ve recently rewritten my first book in a shorter format with a varied theme. Cult Boy releases on June 9, 2026. I hope to do more writing in the future.

In 2018, I was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer called polycythemia vera. It’s a slow progressing disease. With treatment and medication I should still be able to live a fairly normal life. However, the diagnosis made me think about life and what I’d like to do with the time I have left. Travel and creativity top the list. I retired from full-time teaching and academic advising in December, 2025, and now the journey begins.

In 2022, I moved from Washington State to Maine where I lived as a kid. I love Maine but work took me to Nashville and I’m currently hopping between the two places. I bought a condo in Southern Maine and will be spending the next few months doing updates and alternately getting onto a new medication for my blood cancer at Vanderbilt in Nashville. The plan is to return to Maine full-time before the end of 2026. Once back in Maine, I’ll continue to work part time while focusing on songwriting, performing, and writing.

Creativity is something that comes natural to me. I’d much rather write a song than watch TV. I’d rather work on books and poems than play video games. I have sought to continually study the greats and improve my own creative skills and push myself to become a better writer, musician, and human being. – dse

Photo by Chris Otten.