Ken graduated from Greensboro College with majors in English, history, and philosophy.  He received his MA degree in English from Duke University and began teaching at Augusta Military Academy upon graduation.   After a year at Tidewater Academy in Wakefield, he eventually moved to Portsmouth where he taught AP English for 43 years.  In addition to these activities, he was a reader for the College Board.  He has played the guitar/requinto since the late 1980s.

He and his wife, Trish, are members of the board of Tidewater Classical Guitar, and Ken is an original member of the Tidewater Guitar Orchestra.  An avid reader, Ken is also writing a non-fiction work on Ralph Ellison.