Key West's Newest Author in "Only in Key West"

Ernest Disney-Britton's first short story, "Moses' Story" was published "Only in Key West" in 2025. A retired arts administrator, he and his husband moved to Key West with his husband to write a memoir, and short story writing is part of that journey. He has a passion for reading artist memoirs, historical fiction, and fantasy. "The Hobbit or There and Back Again"  is the one book he reads each year, but he's also re-read "Beloved" and "Wicked" several times.  

His favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy writers are Colson Whitehead, Frank Herbert, Margaret Atwood, Octavia Butler, Gregory Maguire, Toni Morrison, David Santos Donaldson, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Maggie O'Farrell. He most recently read artist memoirs by Billy Porter, Rupal, and Edward Kobina Enninful from the worlds of theatre, music, and fashion.

Ernest earned his BA in Arts Management from Eastern Michigan University and later his MA in Communications. His thesis focused on fundraising strategies used by arts organizations. He began writing winning grant applications at his first job after graduation. He has also served annually as a grant application reviewer for arts funding agencies, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ohio Arts Council, and the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. 

In 2009, he began writing a history of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati. That unfinished work is now the framework for his memoir about the tensions and joys of creating a museum designed to bridge America's racial divide and promote cooperation.

Ernest is drawn to writing inspiring stories that feature artists, mixed-race communities, and gay couples. His first short story, addressing those themes, will be published by the Key West Writers' Guild in 2026.