Last fall, I was privileged to teach a writing seminar to wounded warriors of Task Force Phoenix at Fort Lewis, Washington. Part of the classroom curriculum was a two-minute writing exercise requiring use of an image to convey a feeling. No particular venue, theme or genre was prescribed; nevertheless, all but one participant wrote a … [more]
Coat of Many Colors
29-May-2010 by 1 Comment
I had this garment, see: a coat of many colors. A Levis jacket, Chinese-made with American fade, it had almost every unit patch I’ve ever worn sewn onto the back. Peacetime insignia were in full color: Second Infantry Division, my first assignment in Korea; III Corps where I worked personnel security for the corps artillery, … [more]
Good Save
21-May-2010 by 6 Comments
With the rain slowed to a drizzle, we sat around a guttering fire, working cuss words into the conversation for practice. Intent on winning this little competition, I was the last to notice that the other guys had shut up. And looked up. “Can I help you, sir?,” said the kid across the fire. That … [more]
Hanging in there
17-May-2010 by 6 Comments
Hi, all. Quick link is all I have a moment for just now. This was a little observation in the Seattle P-I, our local, now more than virtually virtual news organ. http://blog.seattlepi.com/jacklewis/archives/200857.asp Middle age is a pain in the butt. This is not a figure of speech. Roll over wrong, sit up sideways just once, … [more]
Weathering
26-April-2010 by 4 Comments
I’m no longer taken in by sunshine, warmth, clarity. When I woke up this morning and walked Smalldaughter to the bus stop, I wasn’t fooled by the blue-skied view that seemed to stretch from the middle of my muddled morning mind all the way to the white-crested mountain range adorning the peninsula across the Big … [more]
"Jack Lewis takes the overall literary crown with his new book...there’s a lot more to Lewis’s work than what it feels like to ride motorcycles.” — Ultimate Motorcycling
"Insightful and from the heart ... a driven and much recommended look into the mind and conflict of the next generation of war veterans. " — Midwest Book Review (Reviewer's Choice)