We looked at the dust. That would explain how it could be all around the Caribbean, even in areas with no forests around.

After we looked around and noticed coral was dying all over the Caribbean, not just in Florida where we have sewage and other problems, I found some literature on the Amazon rain forest. In the late '80s and early '90s, scientists determined that the African dust supplies most of the essential nutrients for the rain forest.

All I'm trying to do is make people aware because most don't even think of this. And it does affect people's health, no doubt about it.

I've been watching this for about 40 years. The years with high dust were the same years most of the coral were damaged.

I hadn't thought specifically about doing graphic novels until a couple of my friends got contracts for them. Then I started picturing how various of my stories or poems would work in an illustrated format and thinking how cool that would be.

I believe it's going to come back. I feel its going to come back bigger and stronger. We're here (Oklahoma City) for this year. New Orleans has a lot do to get back and when they come back, we're coming back. I want the people there to have hope. In a lot of ways that's all some of them have, and I'm not going to take that away from them.