New Book In Print: Charles Sorley's Ghost

To commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the beginning of World War One and the launching of the bloodiest century in human history, I have published a new volume of poems and essays, entitled Charles Sorley’s Ghost. Who was Charles Sorley, you might ask, and why is his ghost so restless? Charles Hamilton Sorley was one of those who have become known as soldier poets, a title attributed usually but not exclusively to British poets who served during World War One. Most of these poets came from upper class families are were commissioned officers. Given the structure of that war, those officers often were in front of their charging men, leading them onward. A disproportionate number lost their lives, among them Charles Sorley. Quickly disillusioned by the nature of this terrible war, Sorley the poet wrote crisp and unsentimental poems that were mature beyond his years. He died early in the war, in 1915, during the Battle of Loos, at age 20. Robert Graves described the battle in which he was killed thus: “It had been another dud show, chiefly notorious for the death of Charles Sorley . . . one of the three important poets killed in the war.” But there were more than three: I found 57 who were killed and more who served and survived. It is easy to forget the horrors of war. Most of us have not experienced them, and hopefully never will. But because we have no direct kinship with War, we tend to ignore, forget, or overlook its rumblings. 187 million human beings have been exterminated in one form or another during the Twentieth Century, and the fighting goes on deep into the 21st. Wilfred Owen said, “All the poet can do is warn. That is why True Poets must be truthful.” With that in mind, and to honor Owen, Sorley and the rest, I offer this volume. It is, I hope, enlightening and thoughtful, and I hope the essays provide information that serves as a jumping off point for each of you. Who cares about people who died so long ago? It is the nature of their deaths that calls to me, and the fact that so many railed against that nature, but surrendered to it anyway. Wilfred Owen was killed on November 4, 1918, seven days before armistice was declared. So, please support me, and pay tribute to them, by purchasing Charles Sorley’s Ghost on Kindle for just $2.99. I hope to have a paperback version available soon, and will post its arrival. This particular project is very important to me, as much for what I learned as for what I wrote, and also for what it all brought me to feel, helping me define my own sense of self on my finite journey across this planet.

Balls: The Nature of War and the Struggle for Peace

This is a day of reflection for me. There are days of introspection, when my thoughts turn inward toward my own Self as a writer, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a brother, an uncle, and a friend. There are other times, like today, when the thoughts turn outward to events in the world that deserve comment -- for whatever it is worth. Sometimes, the only worth to what I say is in the saying -- getting it out of my system so I can move on. I am among the virtually powerless in the world, and I recognize that. But, together, we have power to make a change (I still believe that) and individually, I have the power to resist. I resist evil. I do not go to battle zones and refugee camps to pass out food and water, I am not that strong. I do not stand in front of a moving tank in order to stop it, I am not that brave. I do scream in unity with those who do. The events in the Ukraine and in Israel have demoted the events in Iraq to barely a squib on the national news. The missing kidnapped girls of Nigeria have been all but forgotten. And once again people are being killed -- innocent people are being butchered -- by soldiers and so-called soldiers who play at war. It is a fact that the hundred years since the beginning or World War One (the anniversary of which, by the way, is next Monday) has been the bloodiest in human history. We are good at killing each other, and getting more efficient every day. We long ago stopped having to see our enemy to kill him, making his death more and more abstract, unreal, forgivable and forgettable. For Americans, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were remote to the Nth degree, with barely one percent of the populace actively engaged in military activities, and they all volunteers. It is also a fact that fighting goes on somewhere in the world every day, like man-made forest fires threatening to burn down a handful of buildings but no major towns. Who cares? Who really cares? The consequence of war is loss, at least for its victims. Yet someone profits from it, uses it as a tool for gain: usually, power, be it political or economic. The axiom, "follow the money," almost always applies. For us, where there is oil, there are we. Where there is none, there are our diplomats. Yet was is illegal. It was so declared in 1928 by the League of Nations, after the French and Americans put together the Kellogg-Briand Pact. But the League had no teeth: one of the two major craftsmen of the Pact was not even a member. And, besides, how do you enforce such a law? It is easier to accept war as a part of human nature, sort of a rutting ritual for our young men, than as something evil to be overcome. I have watched the world for most of my 64 years with keen interest, and studied human history with a particular eye toward the wars that seem to dominate that story. And I want to believe that we can evolve. I know that we should. But what will it take? There is no easy or practical solution, the issue is more complicated and widespread than gun control in the United States. And the United Nations, successor to the League, itself has no balls, even with the United States as a major member. So I propose the UN grow a set and act in an impractical way: declare universal disarmament. Take away the weapons of war, and there is a good chance you take away war. But, of course, sitting up here in my home near Flathead Lake, tranquil, warm, and well fed, it's easy for me to say. And, being an American I realize that disarmament begins at home.

Shameless Self Promotion, Volume 2

Help a starving writer get home! It’s easy: if you have a Kindle or a Kindle app for your PC, tablet or phone, you can download a copy of the novel, Amber Waves, by Roy Blokker, for only $2.99! I guarantee it is a great summer read, filled with Gods and warriors and three thousand year old whores and four talking vultures and very interesting people! Here’s the link: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=la_B001KICCUM_B001KICCUM_sr?rh=i%3Abooks&field-author=Roy+Blokker&sort=relevance&ie=UTF8&qid=1399422761 Now that the business end is out of the way, here's the news that's fit to print. CharleeRose is doing her job, which is to grow. She is one month and four days old today, and already shows the good gene pool on both sides (Am I bragging? Yes I am!). Her big brother Xander is enjoying his new role, though sometimes he has to be too quiet for too long, so Opa and Oma give him the chance to be the rambunctious six year old that he inevitably is. Nik and Holli are getting a rhythm and the baby, as she gets bigger, is getting more reasonable on her feeding schedule. Meanwhile, our grandson to be Chase is almost fully cooked; we head to Los Osos in less than three weeks! And of course I am delighted because we are flying -- we try to get one airplane ride (round trip) every year and have done, mostly, since 2001. I am still looking for a job where I travel from airport to airport just to review the airports, but I haven't found it yet. Finally, watch for more writing news, and thanks for being there for me!

The Day Between Bad Days

Today is Sunday, June 29. Diane is baking and I am writing and the world seems pretty much okay right at the moment. The Sun has just risen over Flathead Lake -- barely -- and the portents are good. Xander spent the night with us Friday, which was a win win win for the family: we got time with him, Mom and Dad got a few hours without having to both attend to CharleeRose and entertain Xander, and Xander got to run around as six year old boys need to do. They are like puppies: you need to run them a bit so they can relax. Plus, he brought the Lego Movie with him for us to watch. We had not seen it, so it was a real treat, expecially since the film was both clever and brilliant. But all this is mere foreplay. What I want to write about is the significance of this day in history. There are many highlights, but for the most part June 29 turns out to have been a quieter day than those around it. In 1888 the first known recording of a piece of classical music was made, of Handel's "Israel in Egypt" on wax cylinder. In 1942 Dmitri Shostakovich's monumental "Leningrad Symphony" received its premiere. In 1963, the Beatles' first song to hit the radio waves was"From Me to You>" One year later, the first draft of the pilot episode for a proposed new program on TV was released: "The Cage," for something called STAR TREK. On that same day, the Civil Rights Act was passed in Washington. There are many more highlights, also mostly positive, for June 29. However, yesterday and tomorrow are different matters. June 28 marks the one hundredth anniversary of the murder that launched the bloodiest century in human history, the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and his beloved wife Sophie. 187 million human beings would be killed during all the wars and armed conflicts that followed this tragic death. And tomorrow, June 30, marks the 89th anniversary of Adolph Hitler's "Night of the Long Knives," a 48 hour period that extended into July 1 and saw Hitler's forces murder or execute hundreds of political opponents and potential opponents, especially Ernst Roehm and the leadership of the SA, or Brown Shirts, the Nazi militia. Controlling that group was crucial to Hitler's standing with Germany's industrialists, who feared that Roehm was the one with the actual power. Finally, July 1 marks the first day of the Battle of the Somme in 1916 -- during which the British launched a headlong attack directly at German entrenchments and lost nearly 20,000 lives in that brief 24 hours, eight of those killed being among the soldier poets I so treasure. As they say, every silver lining has a cloud.

Writer's Update: Mark your calendars!

Dear friends, family and followers, It is June 26 and I am looking my self-imposed deadline for publishing my next book straight in the face: June 28, the one hundredth anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria. But I am not ready. There is still more editing and research to be done, plus some editorial decisions to be made. This book is of crucial importance to me, so I want to get it right. I want the reader's experience to be entertaining and provoking, and hopefully educational. I also would like to have the CreateSpace paperback edition available at the same time as the Kindle edition, which will take a little bit of coordinating. As I have said in the past, writing is fun and wonderful, but editing is hell. So I have re-set the publication date to July 28, to coincide with the one hundredth anniversary of Austria declaring war on Serbia and launching "the Guns of August" that went on and on and on through four Augusts into the following November. Anyway, that is my goal now, so bear with me. On the published NOW front, I am happy to report that Ancient Paths will publish my poem, "The Nowhere," on its Facebook page within the next few months; and Leaves of Ink will put two of my poems on their front page: "Eight Years Gone" on July 25 and "Purpose" on August 3. A third poem, "The Grass," will appear in their anthology, date uncertain, and I have been invited to submit more to it. I am busy editing, submitting and writing all the time now, and very happy. Our granddaughter CharleeRose is already a week old, and our grandson Chase is coming in about a month to a month and a half, while big boy Xander is growing like a weed and learning the joys of silly rhymes and silly men. So mark your calendars: July 25 visit Leaves of Ink and find "Eight Years Gone." July 28, my new book, "Charles Sorley's Ghost: Poems and Reflections on Memorial Year 2014" will be out on Kindle and hopefully CreateSpace and Amazon. August 3 visit Leaves of Ink to view "Purpose." I also have submitted poems six so far, and will add to the list, on Poethunter.com. Feel free to visit all these places and let others know -- the only way to help online presses survive is with our support, and struggling artists such as moi need all the support and all the publicity we can get.

73 Years Ago Today

On this date, June 22, 1941, Adolph Hitler launched Plan Barbarosaa, his invasion of Russia. Whatever anyone thinks about Stalin and the Soviet Union, at the time they were allied with the Western nations, and Hitler's invasion began a bloodbath that would claim upwards of thirty million lives and ultimately lead to his defeat. A little remembered fact: Hitler had originally planed to launch the attack on May Day, to coincide with the major celebrations held in Moscow on May 5 and thus demoralize Stalin and the Russian people. But before he could launch, uprisings broke out in Greece and Yugoslavia against the Italians who were occupying them. Mussolini asked Hitler for help, so the Fuehrer sent 24 of the 28 Panzer tank divisions assembled along the Russian border to crush the rebellions. It took six weeks to refit the tanks and ready for launch, which meant the attack was delayed. Oddly enough, the Panzers rolled through Russia almost unchecked, and reached the outskirts of Moscow on October 16. Then the snow began to fall, an early winter, and Hitler's attack was stalled. After the Battle for Stalingrad, which began soon afterward, Hitler's forces bever gained another piece of foreign soil and began their long gradual retreat. With those extra six weeks, he probably would have taken Moscow, and then who knows? It is one of the biggest What Ifs of all. Most interestingly, the man who encouraged the uprisings was Winston Churchill, and the major leader in Yugoslavia was a Nationalist named Tito -- so this is how Marshal Tito and Winston Churchill saved the world.

Tony Gwynn Remembered

One of the greatest pure hitters in the game of baseball has passed away. Tony Gwynn died today at age 54, far too soon. The thing that made him so remarkable as a player was the fact that he hit so well in an era dominated by players going for the long ball. Tony won eight batting titles and finished with a career average of .338 with over 3,000 hits (3,141). He played for twenty years and played every one of his games for the San Diego Padres -- a rare feat to stay with one team for your whole career. His .338 career average is 20th all time and the highest of any player in my lifetime, since 1950. (Ted Williams hit .344 but began his career long before I was born). Gwynn's single season high of .394 in 1994 is the closest anyone has come to the magic .400 since Williams hit .406 in 1941. Besides this, my impression of Tony is that he was a true gentleman in the sport. Tony, you leave us far too soon, and we will miss you. Your achievements will live forever. My deepest sympathies to your family and friends, and thank you for everything.