Tag Archives: Vietnam War

Episode #43: Connie Kinsey

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Connie Kinsey is a former military brat who has put down deep roots in a converted barn on a dirt road at the top of a hill in West Virginia. She lives with two dogs and a cat, and is pursuing happiness, one cup of coffee at a time. Primarily a memoirist, the events of her life permeate her work. Her fiction is sometimes described as autofiction because it incorporates autobiography in a fictionalized form with endings far from the truth of what really happened. In January of 2021, Connie was thrilled to be selected as one of two Writers-in-Residence for the Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center. She works full-time with a children’s nonprofit. 
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Connie’s Readings:

  • Redemption – 13:05
  • Being a Brat – 28:30
  • Chapter 5 from Black Fishnets and Combat Boots – 43:36

Michael’s Beer Pairings:

  • Grapefruit Supreme, Surly Brewing Company (paired to Redemption) – 10:38
  • Crunkle Sam Barleywine, Clown Shoes (paired to Being a Brat) – 25:32
  • Budweiser, ABInBev (paired to Chapter 5 from Black Fishnets and Combat Boots) – 40:55

Interview Highlights:

  • Faulkner chicks and Tennessee Williams chicks! – 16:52
  • And what about Appalachian chicks? – 19:11
  • Why West Virginia? – 23:17
  • The effects of growing up military – 36:08
  • The Museum of the American Military Family – 36:48
  • The story behind Black Fishnets – 48:24
  • Writing dark comedy—humor with a serious message – 53:55

COMING NEXT MONTH:  Christina Courtenay, author of historical fiction, time slip, and time travel

UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel’s Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology

Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

Episode #31: Sandy Hanna

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Sandy Hanna is an award-winning author for her memoir “The Ignorance of Bliss: An American Kid in Saigon,” a true coming-of-age story about growing up in Vietnam in the early 60s. She current resides in Lambertville, New Jersey. As a military BRAT (British Regiment Attached Transfer) her story reveals a turbulent time where politics and intrigue resided between plot and counterplot and where, as children, she and her siblings lived in the continuous present – perhaps the only way children can live. Ms. Hanna graduated from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois with a BA in Interdisciplinary Programs in Science and Literature and University of Massachusetts with a MED in the Biology of Cognition. Her background is one of working with children and designing learning environment for museums, theme parks, and communities. However, she sees herself as a life-time storyteller and artist.
Sandyhanna.net

Sandy Readings:

  • Witnessing the Coup – 9:35
  • Baby Powder & Hershey Bars – 28:27
  • Brink’s Bomb – 43:44

Michael’s Beer Pairings:

Harvey Weissbanger Recipe

  • 1 oz. Galliano
  • 2 oz. Orange Juice
  • 6 oz. Weissbier

Fill a collins glass with ice. Add the Galliano and orange juice. Top with Weissbier. Garnish with orange peel.

Interview Highlights:

  • Did you take it for granted you survived a shooting spree? – 15:34
  • The Dragon Lady and Colonel Sam’s Expose – 19:12
  • Did your brother’s basketball start the Vietnam War? – 23:26
  • Everything in life lies in acceptance – 35:26
  • Military kids taking control in an out-of-control world – 36:58
  • Military transport to Saigon – 51:05

COMING NEXT MONTH: Christine Madline Ellsworth, poet and 1st time novelist

UPCOMING EVENTS: 

  • Gabriel’s Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology
  • Laura will be signing books Sunday, November 7, 2 to 5 pm at Maple Grove Lutheran Church, 9251 Elm Creek Blvd N, Maple Grove, MN. Several other authors from Night Writers will also be signing books.

Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.