Fannin, Mark T. 1970–
Fannin, Mark T. 1970–
(That Man Fanjo)
PERSONAL: Born November 30, 1970, in Belfast, Northern Ireland; son of Thomas (a consultant neurosurgeon) and Joy (in business; maiden name, Black) Fannin; married Beverly Mitchell (in business), 2004. Ethnicity: "White." Education: Attended Reed College, 1992–93; University of Ulster, B.A. (Hons.), 1994, D.Phil., 1998. Politics: "Liberal with environmental tendencies." Religion: "Devout atheist." Hobbies and other interests: Music, sea angling, pets, walking, cooking.
ADDRESSES: Home—9 Eglantine Ct., Lisburn, County Antrim BT27 5PS, Northern Ireland. E-mail—mtfannin@aol.com.
CAREER: Writer. University of Ulster, Belfast, Northern Ireland, part-time lecturer, 1997–2000; University of Derby, Derby, England, lecturer in history, 2001–02; University of Ulster, lecturer in history, 2002–03; Queen's University, Belfast, lecturer in history, 2003–04. Singer as That Man Fanjo.
WRITINGS:
Labor's Promised Land: Radical Visions of Gender, Race, and Religion in the South, University of Tennessee Press (Knoxville, TN), 2003.
Songwriter under sobriquet That Man Fanjo. Contributor to periodicals, including Irish Journal of American Studies and Quaderni Online Series.
WORK IN PROGRESS: Tomorrow's Song, a novel; writing songs for solo and group performance; research on "contested ground" between the radical and reactionary in the history of southern labor.
SIDELIGHTS: Mark T. Fannin told CA: "When it comes to assessing why I write, there are two answers. The younger, more naive me would have said 'money.' I now know this not to be the case—most definitely.
"Financial reward would be nice, but whether my work is history, fiction, or music, I have grounded my expectations in more-honest soil. If people appreciate it, enjoy it, and gain from it, then the expectation of riches (however small) is perhaps a little unreasonable.
"Much better to be able to express myself, explain myself, and explore others in the same breath, etched on the page or in the musical ether. Share."