Helen Benedict

Helen is publishing The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq with Beacon in April. Here is her terrific Huffington Post about veteran violence:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/helen-benedict/violent-veterans-the-big_b_157937.html

the hooks being the nine murders of women in Ft. Carson Colorado alone! The number of veteran suicides and attempts jumping six times since the Iraq War began!

After descrying the situation, she goes about making suggestions. Brava.

Weapons Grade

This fall U. of Arkansas Press is publishing my fifth book of poetry, Weapons Grade about occupations, past and present. I love the cover art, an image by Michael Kvium and am looking forward to what the wonderful designer Brian McMullen will do with it. The book will contain a long poem entitled "Secret Executions of Black GIs in Occupied Japan" to be published in the next Ploughshares issue.

Japan Times

David Cozy at the Japan Times named Black Glasses Like Clark Kent to his "Best of Asia 2008" list--which is very short! Now if there were only more readers of English in Japan.

Old but Relevant

Practically a movie already! 28 black veterans wait 64 years to have their names cleared in the lynching of an Italian POW in Seattle--and the last survivor dies right after hearing the Army apologize. All because Jack Hamann wrote On American Soil. My dream of course with Black Glasses.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93304327

NOW THE HELL WILL START

A "non-fiction thriller" by Brendan Koernan about a black soldier fleeing WWII racism by hiding in the Burma jungle. Very well-documented, exciting chase and sad ending. But the book did get written.

Apologies

Somewhere in the shift of blogtech, I was lost--but now I'm found. Several posts to follow.

New Doc by Hoop Dreams Directors about Death Penalty

Hoping to renew discussion on the death penalty, the directors have just released At The Death House Door about a chaplain who oversaw 95 executions and concluded that "they served neither justice nor morality." This is the NY Times review:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/27/arts/television/27docu.html?_r=1&oref=slogin