Robert F. Smallwood
Encyclopedia
Robert F. Smallwood is an American writer and technologist born in 1959 in Davenport
, Iowa
. He grew up in nearby Bettendorf
, where he was an athletic, academic, and musical standout. After attending the University of Massachusetts Boston
on a scholarly exchange program he graduated from the University of Northern Iowa
in 1982 with honors and degrees in Business Management and Psychology. In 2000, Smallwood completed work on his Master of Business Administration degree at Loyola University New Orleans
.
Smallwood moved to New Orleans where he worked for Burroughs Corporation (later Unisys
after a merger with Sperry
) selling mainframe computers to commercial banks. Later he worked for Wang Laboratories
in the same field. In 1991 he became an independent IT consultant and in 1995 he merged with and co-founded IMERGE Consulting. A prolific writer on IT topics, he has published over 100 articles in trade journals.
He had begun working on his first novel, a New Orleans-based murder mystery, when Hurricane Katrina
hit on August 29, 2005. The Five People You Meet in Hell: Surviving Katrina, Smallwood's account of his experience during the storm and in its aftermath, was his first book and the first personal account of the disaster to be published. One of the "five people" was Smallwood's friend and neighbor Harry Anderson
, the comic actor who starred in Night Court
, a popular 1980's sitcom. In 2006 Smallwood embarked on a 21-city book tour and interviews on C-SPAN
(BookTV), BBC
Radio, The Washington Post
, The Wall Street Journal
, ABCNews.com and other major media outlets. He also published his first play that year, "Brando
, Tennessee & Me." In 2007 he edited and published "Prisoners of Katrina" in 2008 he published his first nonfiction tech book, "Taming the Email Tiger" and in 2009 his first novel, "Jackson Squared."
As the executive director of the Louisiana Writers' Foundation, Smallwood was responsible for organizing a "Black & White Ball" at the Hotel Monteleone on the 40th anniversary of Truman Capote
's famous New York
event. The event was held to raise donations for writers struggling to return to post-Katrina New Orleans, in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity. Honorees included noted Romanian writer and New Orleans resident Andrei Codrescu
, Louisiana Poet Laureate Brenda Marie Osbey
, and poet Dave Brinks. News anchor Angela Hill emceed the festivities.
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. He grew up in nearby Bettendorf
Bettendorf, Iowa
Bettendorf is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Bettendorf is the fifteenth largest city in the U.S. state of Iowa and the fourth largest city in the "Quad Cities". As of the 2010 United States Census the population grew to 33,217. Bettendorf is one of the Quad Cities, along with...
, where he was an athletic, academic, and musical standout. After attending the University of Massachusetts Boston
University of Massachusetts Boston
The University of Massachusetts Boston, also known as UMass Boston, is an urban public research university and the second largest campus in the five-campus University of Massachusetts system. The university is located on on Harbor Point in the City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States...
on a scholarly exchange program he graduated from the University of Northern Iowa
University of Northern Iowa
The University of Northern Iowa is a college located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. UNI offers more than 120 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Humanities and Fine Arts, Natural Sciences, and Social and Behavioral sciences, and graduate college.UNI has...
in 1982 with honors and degrees in Business Management and Psychology. In 2000, Smallwood completed work on his Master of Business Administration degree at Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans is a private, co-educational and Jesuit university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Originally established as Loyola College in 1904, the institution was chartered as a university in 1912. It bears the name of the Jesuit patron, Saint Ignatius of Loyola...
.
Smallwood moved to New Orleans where he worked for Burroughs Corporation (later Unisys
Unisys
Unisys Corporation , headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, United States, and incorporated in Delaware, is a long established business whose core products now involves computing and networking.-History:...
after a merger with Sperry
Sperry Corporation
Sperry Corporation was a major American equipment and electronics company whose existence spanned more than seven decades of the twentieth century...
) selling mainframe computers to commercial banks. Later he worked for Wang Laboratories
Wang Laboratories
Wang Laboratories was a computer company founded in 1951 by Dr. An Wang and Dr. G. Y. Chu. The company was successively headquartered in Cambridge , Tewksbury , and finally in Lowell, Massachusetts . At its peak in the 1980s, Wang Laboratories had annual revenues of $3 billion and employed over...
in the same field. In 1991 he became an independent IT consultant and in 1995 he merged with and co-founded IMERGE Consulting. A prolific writer on IT topics, he has published over 100 articles in trade journals.
He had begun working on his first novel, a New Orleans-based murder mystery, when Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
hit on August 29, 2005. The Five People You Meet in Hell: Surviving Katrina, Smallwood's account of his experience during the storm and in its aftermath, was his first book and the first personal account of the disaster to be published. One of the "five people" was Smallwood's friend and neighbor Harry Anderson
Harry Anderson
Harry Laverne Anderson is an American actor and magician.-Early life:Born in Newport, Rhode Island, Anderson was a street magician before becoming an actor.-Career:...
, the comic actor who starred in Night Court
Night Court
Night Court is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984, to May 20, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone...
, a popular 1980's sitcom. In 2006 Smallwood embarked on a 21-city book tour and interviews on C-SPAN
C-SPAN
C-SPAN , an acronym for Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network, is an American cable television network that offers coverage of federal government proceedings and other public affairs programming via its three television channels , one radio station and a group of websites that provide streaming...
(BookTV), BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Radio, The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, ABCNews.com and other major media outlets. He also published his first play that year, "Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
, Tennessee & Me." In 2007 he edited and published "Prisoners of Katrina" in 2008 he published his first nonfiction tech book, "Taming the Email Tiger" and in 2009 his first novel, "Jackson Squared."
As the executive director of the Louisiana Writers' Foundation, Smallwood was responsible for organizing a "Black & White Ball" at the Hotel Monteleone on the 40th anniversary of Truman Capote
Truman Capote
Truman Streckfus Persons , known as Truman Capote , was an American author, many of whose short stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and the true crime novel In Cold Blood , which he labeled a "nonfiction novel." At...
's famous New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
event. The event was held to raise donations for writers struggling to return to post-Katrina New Orleans, in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity. Honorees included noted Romanian writer and New Orleans resident Andrei Codrescu
Andrei Codrescu
Andrei Codrescu is a Romanian-born American poet, novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and commentator for National Public Radio. He was Mac Curdy Distinguished Professor of English at Louisiana State University from 1984 until his retirement in 2009....
, Louisiana Poet Laureate Brenda Marie Osbey
Brenda Marie Osbey
-Life:She graduated from Dillard University, Paul Valéry University, Montpellier III, and from the University of Kentucky, with an M.A.She has taught at the University of California at Los Angeles, Loyola University New Orleans, and at Dillard University. She was Visiting Writer-in-residence at...
, and poet Dave Brinks. News anchor Angela Hill emceed the festivities.