We talk to our first guest author Alex Vernon
Alex Vernon is the author of Peace is a Shy Thing: The Life and Art of Tim O’Brien. The first literary biography of Tim O’Brien, the preeminent American writer of the war in Vietnam and one of the best writers of his generation, drawing on never-before-seen materials and original interviews. “Vietnam made me a writer.” – Tim O’Brien
Featuring over one hundered interviews with family, friends, peers, and others – not to mention countless exchanges with Tim O’Brien himself – Peace is a Shy Thing provides a nearly day-by-day, gripping account of O’Brien’s thirteen months as an infantryman in Vietnam and gives equal diligence to reconstructing O’Brien’s writing process.
This meticulously researched biography explores the life and journey that turned O’Brien into a literary icon and a household name. It includes an unpublished short story about O’Brien from a college girlfriend, documentation of his comical involvement with the Washington Post’s coverage of Watergate, and a 1989 attic exchange between American and Vietnamese writers on the eve of the publication of O’Brien’s most beloved book, The Things They Carried, years before the two countries normalized relations.
Peace is a Shy Thing is as much a history of the era as it is a story of O’Brien’s life, from his small-town midwestern mid-century childhood, to winning the National Book Award and his status as literary elder statesman. A story which Vernon, a combat veteran of the Persian Gulf War and a literary scholar trained by officers and professors of the Vietnam era, is uniquely suited to tell.
Learn more about author Alex Vernon.
Meet our next guest, musician Wayne DeLoria
Wayne DeLoria is a solo guitarist/vocalist, playing and singing selections from the 1960’s through today. He has been performing since the ’70s with a repertoire that includes some older standards, folk, soft rock, country, as well as, contemporary alternative. Wayne’s influences include The Beatles, Elton John, The Kingston Trio, James Taylor, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Buffet, Zac Brown, and others. His talents are ideal for parties and other events where background or featured music is desired. He presents with a full sound, including percussion, harmonies, and harmonica accompaniment. All music is performed live – no background recordings!
Visit Wayne’s website to learn more, hear clips, and find upcoming performances!
Finally, we interview Puroclean Franchise owner Joe Ortiz
Host Jim Fausone interviews Joseph Ortiz, U.S. Army veteran and Puroclean Franchise owner. Joe was deployed to Iraq for 14-months in support of Operation Freedom. Following his military career, he worked in multiple positions in the aircraft industry, leading him to open his business, DCJets Services LLC, in 2016, which was ranked as one of the top aircraft maintenance companies in North America.
For more than 20 years, PuroClean has helped home and business owners with their restoration and remediation needs, serving communities across the United States and Canada with a network of over 325 offices.
